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Vinny Gambini: Your Honor, may I have permission to treat Ms. Vito as a hostile witness?
Mona Lisa Vito: You think I'm hostile now, wait 'til you see me tonight.
Judge Chamberlain Haller: Do you two know each other?
Vinny Gambini: Yeah, she's my fiancée.
Judge Chamberlain Haller: Well, that would certainly explain the hostility
~ My Cousin Vinny, 1992
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Greetings!
We bring you confidence through information.
Our job is to provide you the information you need. Whether it's through our investigative services or through our informative newsletters, we want you to have the latest and current information. In this edition, we have addressed two subjects: Documenting Event Scenes in a Criminal Case and Reviewing Discovery with the Client.
We want to write about topics that you can use in your day-to-day practice. Please e-mail us your topics of interest at InvestigativeReport@completelegalinv.com.
We encourage you to share our e-newsletter with others in your sphere of influence.
Sincerely,
Your Team at Complete Legal Investigations
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Documenting Event Scenes in a Criminal Case
We are all familiar with the yellow "Crime Scene Do Not Cross" tape. So familiar, in fact, that we may forget that the taped off "scene" is not actually a crime scene unless a crime is proven. Until then, it is an event scene. That is an important distinction, because the term "event scene" reminds us that the situation is still unfolding. The investigation into an alleged crime is ongoing, and it is critical that the event scene be documented quickly, accurately, and objectively. Hiring a qualified criminal defense investigator is the best way to make sure that happens.
The events that took place are troubling and unsettling, otherwise law enforcement would not be involved. Witnesses tend to be highly emotional, and their descriptions of people and details of what they think they saw are often not quite accurate, and sometimes dead wrong. The professional investigators at CLI know how to work past witness emotion and get to the core facts of the event. Our investigators are trained to recognize discrepancies in witnesses' statements that law enforcement may miss because they are juggling multiple duties at one time. A classic example of this is a witness who... Read More |
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Reviewing Discovery with the Criminal Client
If your client has been charged with a criminal violation he or she faces the real possibility of a long prison sentence or probation and loss of civil rights. The government or the state, with all of its resources, is ready to convict, and you need a trained criminal defense investigator on your team to level the playing field. A skilled investigator can uncover reasonable doubt or find the information you need to mitigate the charges. He or she can also help improve your odds of winning the case by participating in the discovery process.
Reviewing the discovery for legal arguments is fundamental to the development of your case. Of course you do it; you would never consider skipping this important step. But without realizing it, you may be skipping over another, equally important step - review of discovery with the client. Consider the benefits of partnering with a professional investigator to include your client in the discovery process:
- The investigator can interview your client for a first-hand account. A skilled investigator may notice something valuable in your clients' account that the police missed, such as ...Read More
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About Us
At Complete Legal Investigations, Inc., we help our clients eliminate uncertainty by understanding the issues confronting them. We conduct interviews, research, and forensic analysis to clarify disputed facts and identify potential solutions. Complete Legal Investigations, Inc. is comprised of talented and experienced investigators and researchers with over 80 years' combined experience in the legal system. Our staff is bilingual and comprised of former federal and state investigators, Certified Legal Investigators (CLI®), Certified Fraud Examiners (CFE®), and a Certified and Florida Registered Paralegal (CP®). Working as a team, we provide an adjunct staff that works cooperatively with your law firm or business, so that you can offer your client the very best legal representation. Learn more
 Contact Us:
PO Box 33676
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
Tel 561-687-8381 Tel 772-878-1380
fax 561-687-8389
www.completelegalinv.com
© 2010 Complete Legal Investigations, Inc. All rights reserved.
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