May 2011

In This Issue
Published Trade Journal Articles
Organizing Discovery in Criminal RICO Cases: A key to defending these cases
The Time Line: A critical tool in defending historical cases

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Mark Murnan featured in first quarter issue of Justlaw, newsletter for the Southern Trial Lawyers Association; see his article on Recorded Witness Statements; www.SouthernTrialLawyers.com

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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: Organizing Discovery in Criminal RICO Cases: A key to defending these cases and The Time Line: A critical tool in defending historical cases.

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 [email protected].

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Organizing Discovery in Criminal RICO Cases: A key to defending these cases

The new wave of Racketeering and Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering (RICO) cases being filed by the government involve voluminous discovery that can be completely overwhelming to the criminal defense attorney and his staff. Attorneys are now receiving this discovery in digital format, and the sheer number of pages and media files included in this digital discovery can be more than the average practitioner can manage.

The criminal defense attorney has the dilemma of appropriately representing his client while not feeling helpless in the midst of an exorbitant amount of discovery from the government. The government has been collecting and organizing this discovery for months, and it may take months to organize, prioritize, and review this discovery by the attorney.

The most important thing to keep in mind is - don't let this voluminous production intimidate or overwhelm you! This discovery can be organized in a fashion in which the attorney and his staff can properly review the documents and media so that the attorney can intelligently and confidently defend his client.

If the discovery the attorney receives is in hard copy format, accompanied by multiple CD's and... Read More

  

The Time Line: A critical tool in defending historical cases

Capable defense attorneys know that establishing a time line of events is a well-established means of confirming and exploring the sequence of events before, during and after an alleged crime. And time lines become even more critical when "cold case" squads make an arrest based on newly uncovered evidence, or when sexual abuse allegations are made many years after the alleged offense occurred.

According to Brandon Perron, "A time line of major events will provide a reference tool clearly defining the relationship of specific activity and events with other evidence and witness testimony."[i]

For the purposes of this article, let's examine the work necessary to establish a defendant's activities and schedule many years prior, when an alleged victim claims he or she was sexually abused.

First, a comprehensive client interview is conducted with the client, to establish a basic understanding of where he lived, who he worked for, who he lived with, and what his work schedule was. This can be...Read More

[i] Perron, Brandon, Uncovering Reasonable Doubt, The Component Method, � 1998, Morris Publishing, Kearney, NE

  

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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

 

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