Criminal Defense Private Investigator: Florida and North Carolina

How a Criminal Defense Investigation Can Support Counsel

A private investigator can provide independent research and fieldwork under a clearly defined, lawful scope. Common forms of support include:

1. Reviewing existing information: Organizing reports, discovery, photographs, recordings, and statements to identify inconsistencies or unanswered questions.
2. Locating potential witnesses: Developing current contact information and seeking voluntary interviews.
3. Checking timelines and alibis: Comparing available records and witness accounts without assuming the conclusion.
4. Following specific leads: Conducting targeted research or field inquiries requested by counsel.
5. Documenting locations and public activity: Obtaining photographs, video, or observations when lawfully permitted.
6. Preserving supplied information: Maintaining organized notes and records so counsel can evaluate their relevance.
7. Coordinating specialist support: Referring appropriate digital, financial, or forensic questions to qualified specialists when necessary.
8. Providing factual reports: Summarizing investigative steps and observations without offering legal conclusions.

Witness cooperation, record availability, and investigative findings cannot be guaranteed. Attorneys should direct legal strategy, subpoenas, discovery, admissibility, and courtroom use.

Criminal Defense Investigations in Florida and North Carolina

JRS Investigations is licensed in both states, and the rules that shape defense fieldwork differ in ways that matter to how witnesses are approached and how evidence is gathered.

Florida

Florida gives the defense unusually broad pretrial discovery. When the defense elects to participate in discovery under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.220, the prosecution must disclose its witness list and other materials, and counsel may take discovery depositions of many listed witnesses. Investigators help counsel prepare by locating those witnesses, checking their prior statements against records and developing questions. Florida also has strict speedy-trial timelines under Rule 3.191, so investigative work is often planned around tight deadlines. Florida is an all-party consent state for recording private conversations under section 934.03, so JRS does not secretly record Florida witness interviews; recorded statements are made with the witness’s knowledge and consent.

North Carolina

In North Carolina felony cases within superior court jurisdiction, N.C.G.S. 15A-903 requires the State to make its complete files available to the defense, which often includes investigative notes and witness statements. Reviewing that file early lets an investigator identify witnesses who were never interviewed and timelines that do not fit. North Carolina generally allows a party to a conversation to record it, but recording practices are agreed with counsel in advance so a statement is not challenged later. Reciprocal discovery obligations under N.C.G.S. 15A-905 can apply to defense materials, which is one reason investigative reporting is coordinated through counsel.

These summaries are general information, not legal advice. Defense counsel decides how and when investigative findings are used.

Who Works Your Defense Case

JRS Investigations is owned and run by Jody Stacy, a private investigator and former police officer at both the state and federal level, with more than 25 years of experience. Having worked on the law-enforcement side, he knows how arrest reports, witness statements and evidence logs are put together, which is often where a defense investigation finds the gaps worth checking. Florida agency license A 2400330 and North Carolina PI license 906236.

Court-Appointed and Indigent-for-Costs Cases

In Florida, when a defendant has been found indigent for costs, defense counsel can ask the court to authorize investigator fees, which are then paid through the Justice Administrative Commission at rates set by law. North Carolina handles appointed-case investigator funding through Indigent Defense Services. Ask your attorney whether that route applies before you hire an investigator privately.

Defense Investigation Checklist

Experienced defense investigators work from a checklist so nothing time-sensitive is missed. Depending on the case and counsel’s direction, JRS may handle a neighborhood canvass for witnesses the police never spoke to, a canvass for private surveillance video before businesses record over it, scene photographs and measurements, written or recorded witness statements, background research on the State’s witnesses, and a timeline built from discovery, body-camera footage and phone records your attorney obtains by subpoena. Every step is documented so counsel can decide what to use.

Why Early Defense Investigation Matters

Many businesses keep camera footage for only a short time before it is overwritten, witnesses move or forget, and scenes change. Starting soon after charges are filed gives your attorney the best chance to preserve evidence the prosecution never collected. In Florida, discovery is governed by Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.220; in North Carolina, by G.S. 15A-903. Your attorney uses those rules; JRS helps follow up on what discovery shows.

Questions About Criminal Defense Investigations

How much does a criminal defense investigation cost?

Privately retained Florida defense work is billed at $125 per hour under a retainer agreed after a free consultation. North Carolina work is quoted per case. Court-appointed and indigent-for-costs cases are paid under the Justice Administrative Commission in Florida or Indigent Defense Services in North Carolina.

Can a defense investigator talk to the alleged victim?

A defense investigator may ask, clearly identified as working for the defense and without pressure. In Florida, Marsy’s Law (Article I, Section 16 of the Florida Constitution) gives victims the right to refuse an interview, and JRS respects that refusal.

Can you record witness interviews?

In Florida, recording requires everyone’s consent under Statute 934.03, so JRS records only with permission. North Carolina allows one-party consent, but JRS still asks first so the statement is clean for your attorney.

Do you work directly with my lawyer?

Yes. Defense investigations run through counsel, so the work stays protected and focused on what your attorney needs.

Related Pages

Defense work often overlaps with our investigation support for Florida attorneys, witness location and skip tracing and background investigations.