When an attorney uses a private investigator in a criminal defense investigation, that investigator will take the time to understand the charges and the laws that relate to the crime. Once there’s an understanding of the case in question, the private investigator will go over all of the materials that the defense team has received from the prosecutor.

During the course of the criminal defense investigation, the private investigator will go through routine reports from the police, everyday paperwork as well as copies of evidence, photographs, phone messages and witness statements related to the case. The goal of this is to determine whether or not there are any inconsistencies from one witness to the next or between the conclusions drawn and the evidence.

In addition, during a criminal defense investigation, a private investigator may re-visit the crime scene to see if there was anything that had been overlooked. He or she may also interview witnesses to see if their stories have changed or to verify that they do not have anything else that motivated their statements against the defendant.

Inconsistencies and ulterior motives that a private investigator discovers during the course of a criminal defense investigation may be able to be used as a part of the client’s defense. Similarly, if during the course of the criminal defense investigation a private investigator discovers that there are other witnesses who had not come forward or evidence that was not considered previously, he or she can then look into these developments further.