Since 1991, we at Jack B. Carroll & Associates have provided stellar legal representation to individuals from all walks of life, charged with crimes at every level of the Texas and Federal legal system. As a result of our commitment to our clients, we’ve had (and continue to have) on-going success as a Houston Criminal Defense practice built to serve our clients.
Why Our Law Firm is Successful
Key Trick of the Trade: Employing a Criminal Defense Detective
One of the main reasons for this success, and one that sets us apart from other criminal justice law firms in Houston, is our use of licensed private investigators as a key component of our criminal defense strategy. We exclusively work with Gradoni & Associates as our private investigation agency due to the law enforcement backgrounds of their senior detectives, attentiveness to detail, and their decades of investigatory efficacy.
When meeting with our clients for the first time, we always discuss the use of a private investigator and the benefits it will bring to their case.
The Arresting Agency Doesn’t Work For You
Independent Criminal Investigations Are Always Best!
One of the main reasons we advocate hiring our own detective is that we don’t trust law enforcement to conduct an investigation with our client’s best interests in mind. It’s unfair to assume that a Detective will investigate a case both properly and impartially as they work for the Government and it’s their job to bring these charges. When your life and freedom are on the line, you want someone working for you, not against you.
Let’s say for the sake of argument that a fair-minded detective is assigned to your case and is willing to conduct an unbiased investigation; do they have time? Oftentimes and not unlike public defenders, law enforcement detectives are severely overburdened with cases to investigate making them unable to properly investigate each individual allegation.
Even a city or county detective with the best of intentions couldn’t possibly conduct a thorough investigation without putting the quality of the detective work on their other cases at risk. This is why we always recommend hiring a detective that works only for you, especially for serious felony cases.
Benefits of Hiring Your Own Detective
Else, Let The Police Conduct The Investigation (Against You)
The most obvious benefit of hiring a private investigator is they’re charged with gathering evidence to help you, as opposed to gathering evidence against you (as is the case with police detectives). It’s also worth noting that many of these private detectives have come directly from law enforcement agencies, and have much more experience than their government counterparts. Put plainly, a private detective will know what to look for in addition to providing insight as to what police detectives are focused on.
When law enforcement detectives are the sole entity investigating the case, the defendant is at a disadvantage for several reasons.
- Independent Evidence Review: Private investigators provide unbiased crime scene investigations, which are admissible in court. Furthermore, if the state is investigating the case, the defendant’s legal team will be at the disadvantage of being forced to wait for discovery. Such an occurrence could cause irreparable harm to the criminal defense lawyer’s ability to develop an effective defense strategy.
- Former Law Enforcement: The more experienced private eye firms like Gradoni & Associates have senior detectives with law enforcement experience on staff. These private detectives have mastered the same investigatory techniques as the State and Federal detectives but will be working directly for you, not against you. Further, having worked with prosecutors in the past, they’ll be able to point out the focus of the State’s investigation.
- Undercover Operations / Confidential Informants: Licensed private eyes with law enforcement experience know the tell-tale signs of undercover operations, specifically those involving confidential informants. This allows the private detectives to immediately begin investigating these private “sources” to determine whether or not they are credible.
- Witness Development: Many witnesses to an investigation are hesitant to talk to a law enforcement official for fear of being implicated or charged themselves. Employing a private detective that has no connection to law enforcement will result in many witnesses providing more information than they may have otherwise, information that is not available to the prosecutors handling the case. These statements and interviews allow the attorney to be better prepared should the case go to a trial or hearing, as there won’t be any last-minute surprises.
- Not Law Enforcement: In short, people are more willing to talk with private individuals than police officers. Private investigators are more likely to earn witness cooperation, get the “real story,” and find out if “something isn’t right.”
Charged with a Felony in Houston?
Call Jack B. Carroll & Associates, Criminal Defense Lawyers
If you’re reading this piece in search of information that might be helpful to yourself or a loved one, feel free to call us at Jack B. Carroll & Associates at any time. We’re experienced criminal justice lawyers and take pride in helping people fight back against aggression brought by the State of Texas or the Federal Government.
To contact our legal team, place a fast and friendly phone call to our office at 713-228-4607 or send us a discreet message using the form on our contact page. Rest assured that your consultation with us will be held in strict confidence, in accordance with attorney-client privilege standards.