Civil litigation offers survivors a structured, trauma-informed path to accountability and healing. From the confidential initial consultation through investigation, filing, discovery, and potential settlement or trial, the process centers survivor agency and control at every stage. Unlike criminal proceedings, civil cases can reach beyond individual perpetrators to hold institutions accountable for enabling abuse, and settlements often include policy changes that protect others. Survivors can protect their privacy through pseudonyms, receive compensation for economic and emotional damages, and achieve a public record of accountability. Jasmyne Crimiel, Associate Attorney, guides survivors through each phase with compassion and commitment to their well-being, ensuring they stay in the driver's seat of their own case.
Civil litigation offers survivors of sexual assault and human trafficking an alternative to the criminal justice system, centered on their needs and recovery. Unlike criminal proceedings, civil cases operate under a lower evidentiary standard ("preponderance of the evidence"), allow survivors to name both perpetrators and the institutions that enabled abuse, provide financial compensation for economic and emotional damages, and empower survivors with agency and control over their own case. Civil settlements can also drive systemic policy change and organizational accountability. Survivors do not need a criminal conviction or investigation to pursue civil claims. Jasmyne Crimiel, Associate Attorney, represents survivors with compassion and commitment to their well-being and full accountability.
