What Is A Criminal Defense Investigator?

One of the most oft-used quotes of law enforcement officials is “The evidence doesn’t lie.” What they don’t say, however, is that the evidence is also open to interpretation in many cases. When a crime is committed, it is the job of police officers, detectives, and prosecutors to interpret the evidence and make an arrest.

But what happens if law enforcement misinterprets that evidence and arrests the wrong person? What happens if that person is you? If that happens, it’s important for your defense attorney to hire an experienced criminal defense investigator to see what evidence the police might have missed or willfully ignored.
 

What Does A Criminal Defense Investigator Do?

The easiest way to think of a criminal defense investigator is to think of them as a police detective (and many used to be) but they’re on your side. In a perfect world of course, police detectives would remain unbiased, but we all know that’s just not the world we currently live in.

Too often, police investigations will jump to a conclusion first, and then gather evidence to support only that conclusion. If they find evidence that contradicts the conclusion they’ve already decided on, they may just ignore it or downplay its importance.

When your defense attorney hires a criminal defense investigator, their job is to examine the evidence the police have already gathered, interpret it, and look for any additional evidence that may prove your innocence.

What Kind Of Evidence Will They Find?

If police only collect enough evidence to support their assumptions, they may miss critical information that could exonerate you as a suspect. For example, a criminal defense investigator might:

• Speak with witnesses other than the victim to verify the details of an event
• Revisit a crime scene to see if the evidence police gathered supports their version of events
• Talk to your friends, family, and coworkers to see if they have information or evidence that could exonerate your or back up your claims
• Collect physical, digital, and other forms of evidence that the police may have missed or ignored

It’s not uncommon for law enforcement officials to stop collecting evidence or interviewing witnesses once they have what they think is enough to make an arrest. This is why it’s so important to have a criminal defense investigator working on your case. Their job is to make sure all the evidence is collected and analyzed. Not just the evidence against you.
 

How Do I Hire A Criminal Defense Investigator?

In most situations, your defense attorney will be the one who will recommend hiring an investigator. Defense attorneys routinely work with private investigators and know which ones will be best suited for your case.

If your attorney doesn’t recommend hiring an investigator for your case, ask them why. If you believe there is evidence that can exonerate you, your attorney should be doing everything in their power to bring it forward as quickly as possible.

For more information, or to request a free consultation, please contact our office today.