How Is an Early Case Investigation Conducted?
When you have been accused of a crime, or anticipate being charged with a crime, it is important to begin an early investigation of your case. You should contact a competent criminal attorney at the very beginning of your case to initiate an investigation. Your attorney will use investigators, experts, and other tools at his disposal to begin gathering evidence often before the State has had a chance to fully investigate your case.
By hiring legal counsel early in your case proceedings, you may be able to gather information faster, more efficiently, and more effectively than the prosecution. A good case investigation may involve the following elements:
- Crime scene investigation
- Witness location and witness interviews (often by private investigator)
- Polygraph examination
- Expert witness investigations
- Legal research regarding challenges to elements of your alleged crimes
Goals of Early Case Investigation:
By retaining legal counsel early in your criminal proceedings, your attorney may be able to achieve the following results:
- Prevent criminal charges from being filed against you;
- Negotiate a pre-prosecution resolution of your charges to a lesser offense (misdemeanor);
- Divert your criminal charges into a pre-prosecution program;
- Gain valuable information to present at your preliminary hearing or grand jury proceeding.
