Private investigators are not just for distrustful spouses. The most common stereotype about private investigators is that people hire them to catch their spouses cheating on them or lying about money. In comedy movies, you might see someone hire a private investigator (PI) to catch her husband cheating, but then the PI’s discoveries lead to an increasingly absurd series of misunderstandings. In hard-boiled detective fiction, the PI often appears as an expert on the criminal underworld and its shadiest characters.
In real life, PIs help lawyers in many practice areas of the law provide the best possible representation for their clients. Especially when the stakes are as high as they are in criminal defense cases, then it is even better if the PI works full-time for one law firm. If you are being accused of a crime in Texas, contact a Texas criminal defense lawyer with an in-house private investigator at a law firm.
The Role of Private Investigators in Legal Cases
In order to make a compelling case in court, you must base your arguments on months, if not years, of detailed research. Lawyers in civil and criminal cases identify avenues of research that will help you prove your claims or disprove your opponent's claims. When lawyers hire a private investigator, the investigator is even more skilled in research in a certain area. These are some situations in which lawyers rely on PIs:
· Attempting to replicate the results of tests performed by crime labs
· Determining whether a spouse or business partner is being truthful about his or her income, assets, or debts
· Finding out if parties to workers’ compensation or insurance fraud cases have a history of fraud or frivolous litigation
· Testifying as expert witnesses about the results of their investigations
How Private Investigators Help Criminal Defense Lawyers
Criminal defense lawyers need private investigators because, in terms of resources to devote to the case, even a wealthy defendant is an underdog. Prosecutors can conduct extensive, publicly funded investigations before and after the defendant is arrested or charged. Their conclusions are not always correct, and many times, they are banking on the fact that a defendant will plead guilty before investigating thoroughly or that an overworked public defender will not be able to offer the most robust defenses.
A PI working together with a criminal defense lawyer can be even more thorough and insightful in exposing inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case than a criminal defense lawyer working alone.
Why Is an In-House Private Investigator Better Than an Outsourced One?
Many criminal defense lawyers hire PIs on a freelance basis. Still, it is even better to choose a law firm with an in-house private investigator to represent you in your criminal defense case. When this happens, it means that the PI is very experienced at investigating the kinds of cases on which the law firm focuses.
When lawyers outsource PI work, it is kind of like when clients choose a “door law” firm where a small team of lawyers takes on cases in a wide variety of practice areas instead of concentrating on just a few.
Contact the Law Office of Patrick J. McLain, PLLC, About Criminal Defense Cases
It is in your interest to hire a Dallas criminal defense lawyer that has an in-house private investigator working for the law firm. Contact the Law Office of Patrick J. McLain, PLLC, in Dallas, Texas, to discuss your case.