MONROE - Teffanie Duffy tends to shun the spotlight.
In her job as the victim and witness director in the Green County District Attorney's office she stays in the background.
But her effort is award-winning.
It's her responsibility to help victims as they prepare to go through the legal system.
"I try to explain what the system can and can't do," she said.
A victim of a sexual assault is confused, angered and more than likely doesn't know what to expect from the criminal justice system.
Duffy tries to put them at ease.
"Everyone reacts differently," she said of the victims she's worked with. "I try to give them answers. It an be an emotional time. There are some cases that can be difficult to prove because they are a 'she said, he said kind of thing.'"
She spends time with the victims and their families as they prepare to testify and she's with them when the verdict is read.
There are times when her job can be demanding but she's good at what she does.
So good, in fact, she was honored Jan. 25 with the "Distinguished Advocate Award" for her "exemplary commitment to the interest of victims" from the Family Services of Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.
Duffy doesn't want a lot of fanfare about the award but Green County District Attorney Gary Luhman said she deserves the recognition.
"She does a lot of work with sexual assault victims, she has great organizational skills and she's been instrumental in setting up protocols for how law enforcement deals with child victims and victims of sexual assault," he said.
Luhman said Duffy's job is difficult because people who come to the district attorney's office are there for a reason.
"She deals with people who are here because something bad happened to them," he said.
In her job as the victim and witness director in the Green County District Attorney's office she stays in the background.
But her effort is award-winning.
It's her responsibility to help victims as they prepare to go through the legal system.
"I try to explain what the system can and can't do," she said.
A victim of a sexual assault is confused, angered and more than likely doesn't know what to expect from the criminal justice system.
Duffy tries to put them at ease.
"Everyone reacts differently," she said of the victims she's worked with. "I try to give them answers. It an be an emotional time. There are some cases that can be difficult to prove because they are a 'she said, he said kind of thing.'"
She spends time with the victims and their families as they prepare to testify and she's with them when the verdict is read.
There are times when her job can be demanding but she's good at what she does.
So good, in fact, she was honored Jan. 25 with the "Distinguished Advocate Award" for her "exemplary commitment to the interest of victims" from the Family Services of Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.
Duffy doesn't want a lot of fanfare about the award but Green County District Attorney Gary Luhman said she deserves the recognition.
"She does a lot of work with sexual assault victims, she has great organizational skills and she's been instrumental in setting up protocols for how law enforcement deals with child victims and victims of sexual assault," he said.
Luhman said Duffy's job is difficult because people who come to the district attorney's office are there for a reason.
"She deals with people who are here because something bad happened to them," he said.