How a Private Investigator Can Help you Obtain a “Not Guilty” Verdict

Posted by Pamela S. on Wednesday, October 10th, 2012

Every person deserves a fair trial. Whether someone is guilty or not guilty, our justice system allows that an accused is entitled to the best possible defense. The prosecution has the advantage, because they have police obtained evidence. A criminal

defense lawyer can also benefit from evidence gathering.

The leading criminal defense lawyers have teams of people who work on their high profile cases. A private investigator should be part of that team. Even if you are a small firm and

can’t afford a full time investigator on staff, you can strengthen your case by using the services of a private investigator hired through a reputable investigative agency.

Hiring a P.I. allows you more time to prepare your case while the investigator does the foot work. A private investigator will work with you to go over all of the evidence, determine the prosecution’s weak points and inconsistencies, and conduct further investigations.

The best private investigators, such as the team at Sheer Investigations, have a background in law enforcement. They know the drill. Ex-police, FBI and CIA personnel understand how law enforcement and the judicial system works. They have the experience and know-how to legally obtain evidence that will stand up in court.

Police sometimes miss key evidence. It’s a fact. The police do an incredible job, but sometimes they aren’t in the right place at the right time, or their focus is on making an arrest and they may miss something in the bigger picture. Sometimes police can’t locate witnesses, or they feel that the case is solved and they stop looking.

A private investigator will start at the beginning. They will visit the crime scene, if there is one. Sometimes the tiniest detail can put reasonable doubt in the minds of the jury.

Your investigator will track down missing witnesses, those who did not come forward, or were reluctant to talk to the police. Private investigators with a law enforcement background are skilled interviewers and understand how to take and analyse statements.

A skilled investigator may be able to obtain the DNA evidence that was not available at the time your client was convicted.

A private investigator is an invaluable resource for defense lawyers working with the wrongfully accused and convicted, to obtain an appeal. According to the Innocence Project, the leading causes of wrongful convictions are:

• Eyewitness Misidentification Testimony
• Unvalidated or Improper Forensic Science
• False confessions and incriminating statements
• Informants providing false information

The Innocence Project represents clients seeking post-conviction DNA testing to prove their innocence. According to the Innocence Project there have been 300 post-conviction DNA exonerations in the United States. Eighteen of the individuals who were exonerated had spent time on death row.

The University of Michigan Law School and the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law have compiled a database of exonerations in the United States. According to the Center on Wrongful Convictions, more than 2,000 falsely convicted people have been exonerated in the past 23 years in the United States. These were individuals convicted of serious crimes, such as homicide and sexual assault. Many of the exonerations were based on DNA evidence, which was not available at the time of

conviction.

A private investigator can help you save your client from becoming a statistic in the database of wrongful convictions.

Former FBI Assistant Director Tom Sheer has recruited the best from the FBI, DEA, IRS and Secret Service to build a formidable team at Sheer Investigations. Our private investigators have the sensitivity and experience to handle the most delicate investigations.