Published: October 27, 2009 07:09 am      

Former prosecutor tells of work on sex crimes cases

A former Los Angeles County assistant prosecutor spoke to a packed classroom Monday on Eastern Kentucky University’s campus about her work on sex crimes cases.

Robin Sax, author and former assistant district attorney, was speaking as part of the EKU College of Justice and Safety’s distinguished lecture series.

Sax spoke about her previous career as one of the more than 1,200 assistant district attorneys working in Los Angeles, especially her time working on sex crimes cases, a specialty she chose.

“It was the one place you could make a big difference,” Sax told the group. “In sex crimes, you actually have the ability to stop the abuse a child might be going through.”

Sax said approximately 90 percent of sex crimes are committed by someone the victim knows, and statistics indicate 1 in 5 boys and 1 in 4 girls will be molested before reaching the age of 18.

“A lot of my job was not only dealing with the case and the crime, but also the relationship,” Sax said.

Sax said she chose to leave her position as a prosecutor to become an author and victim’s advocate because of her experiences as a prosecutor.

“Hurry up and wait was the story of my life,” Sax said about the time she spent inside California courtrooms.

Those waiting periods led Sax to begin writing a book, she said, about how the criminal justice system could be changed to better protect victims and make prosecuting suspects faster.

“I found the power of my voice in my fingertips,” Sax said.

As a prosecutor, Sax often was responsible for interviewing children who were the victims of sex crimes, a practice Sax said should be replaced with the use of forensic interviewers.

A forensic interviewer is an impartial questioner unconnected to either the police or prosecutors who can ask unbiased questions to obtain a credible account of abuse, Sax explained to the group.

“There should always be a forensic interviewer who has no stake in the case,” Sax said.

Sax, who also hosts an Internet radio show that highlights sex crime cases under investigation, said she chose to leave her position as a prosecutor to be a more effective advocate for victims.

“I left the D.A.’s office so I could speak my mind,” Sax said.

Following Sax’s address, she took questions from the group about her positions on a number of issues.

Brian Smith may be reached at bsmith@richmondregister.com or at 624-6694.