We are often asked, by our PI colleagues and attorney clients, how can investigators help beyond the role of fact finding legal investigators. Every investigator, and almost every investigation, has the same core fundamentals in the fact-finding process. These are: 1) records research through public and private resources; 2) interviews of parties, subjects and witnesses, potential witnesses, etc.; 3) conducting backgrounds and locating these persons; 4) communications - verbal and written, including a professional investigative report. There is more to this than investigations, as other tasks and assignments that often go unrealized.

There are several unrealized areas of specialty for all investigators. This includes assisting with fact and protocol reviews of other investigations. This may include the official investigation in criminal defense cases, official and original defense investigation in criminal appeals, and reviews in specialized areas in civil investigations.

If you have been involved in criminal defense investigations long enough, you have seen the good and bad in the official investigations, and perhaps any original criminal defense investigation. If there is any reasonable doubt in the underlying criminal defense case, it should be found in the original fact finding investigation. If you are brought in to replace or augment a criminal defense investigation, reviewing both the original and independent investigations are important. If you are brought in during the appeal process, one of the additional tasks will be to determine if there is any new evidence, which often arises from either missed or falsely reported information, and from new developments in applicable fields - such as medicine, forensics, procedures, etc. You may have, or know someone, with a specialty that can be imperative to the investigative process and case. Moreover, you have a responsibility to yourself and clients to be current, through continuing education and self-awareness, of any advances in areas you are active as a professional investigator. Specific to these types of investigative tasks, you are also fact-checking and verifying the investigative protocol of all underlying official and independent investigations. Veteran investigators should be strong enough in these areas to be subject matter experts.

So why call in another investigator on a case you are involved with. First and foremost remember that each person has a constitutional right to have an adequate and competent defense to include an adequate and competent investigation. If you take two investigators, hand them both a report to read, the percentage that these two investigators will find all of the exact pertinent information to a case is very low. Sure, there might be quite a few points that both investigators note, however, odds are both investigators are going to miss some points of interests to the case that the other picked up on and vice versa. The old saying, "two heads are better than one", holds true in numerous things in life, to include a good investigation. Remember, you are a fact finder, and there is no room for egos, there could be someone's life on the line. Build the best investigative team you possibly can with the money allotted in the case, and work that case as if it were your own life on the line.

The same holds true when analyzing and reviewing prior investigations. Your benefit to the defense is the experience to deconstruct previous investigations and give a critical analysis. You may find issues for the defense in the initial case, or points of appeal in such cases. In addition, the task of deconstructing and critically analyzing the criminal discovery, civil disclosures and all pertinent investigative processes and evidence gives the professional investigator an additional benefit to the attorney-client. Also assisting in the preparation of witnesses, questions for witnesses, and evaluation of potential witnesses, this would include opposition witnesses and preparing the attorney-client with questions for this anticipated testimony.

Your role as the investigator is an integral and vital part of the legal team. In addition to a fact-finder, you are also a presenter of these facts to your attorney-client.

News happens so fast, please visit our agency blog for daily and weekly posts on news of interest - www.MedicolegalPI.com or our business Facebook page at www.facebook.com/4N6Associates

POPULAR VIDEOS GOING VIRAL 

-- The RV Park Project is a mysterious video found in northern Colorado.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUmTt9QUl7U&sns=em  

-- Have you changed a tire, on an airplane, in mid-air? This woman did - amazing!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2cg5pa7B5Y 

-- Here is a video link of the pedestrian crash reconstruction. It sends a powerful message, both concerning vehicle and pedestrian safety, and some of the steps taken in reconstruction. In Colorado, we have also noticed that many bicyclists fail to abide by the laws they legislated for, and vehicle traffic laws. Although involving a pedestrian, this also demonstrates the dangers a bicyclist presents when ignoring these, or by a driver that is not attentive to the presence of bicyclists. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKwPp6dp7KM  

AFI-LLC APPROVED BY MARICOPA COUNTY (AZ)

Update - for our attorney and investigator clients in Maricopa, here is the link to the information in retaining AFI-LLC. Please contact for any inclusion in your county and state, we are available nationally. Details are at  http://www.maricopa.gov/OPDS/Assets/Documents/Service_Providers/MedicolegalDeathInvestigator.pdf and  http://www.maricopa.gov/OPDS/Assets/Documents/Service_Providers/Criminalist.pdf 

WATCH FOR FRAUDULENT POTENTIAL CLIENTS

It has been in the news lately that PIs continue to be fooled by potential clients, as a consequence possibly endangering the subject of an investigation. This can be negligent, and has also been the cause of the loss of access to many public and private record resources to our profession.

The common ploy is to simply convince a PI to conduct a locate investigation by circumventing the actual skip trace process. Instead, PIs are asked to conduct background investigations, hoping that this will produce the subject's address. At AFI-LLC we screen and conduct due diligence on all cases. There are strict agency policies in place to prevent fraudulent and potentially dangerous use of our services. Another ploy is to file legal pleadings that require a skip trace to serve the defendant. To avoid an attorney, it is filed in small claims and there is often no basis for the litigation, except to get an address; win or lose doesn't matter. For this reason we decline all such requests.

If you are interested in other ways to protect your agency and our profession, please contact us.

Bob Wall's complete review for Professional Private Investigators Association of CO 

Don Johnson's complete review for PI Magazine 

Gene Ferraro's complete review for the ASIS Security Management Online  

Jennifer Brown, CLI, JD, is the Editor for the quarterly newsletter of the Professional Private Investigators Association of Colorado, writes "Awesome book, Dean. Should be required reading for investigators. It's helped me clean up some of my procedures."

As 2012 comes to a close, many still struggle with the continuing downturn of the economy. This can be very trying on the small businesses and sole-proprietorships that make up this profession. Remember two things - our motto of 'Together We're Better', and Gene Ferraro's motto of 'Surround Yourself With Success'.

This has been a great year and 2013 looks as promising. We have our family and freedoms to be thankful for, and celebrating these times especially reminds us of that.

We are honored to have the privilege of working with you and being surrounded by such great people!
 
Best wishes - Dean and Karen