Criminal Investigations Depend on The Circumstances of The Crime

The investigative process is very important in the criminal justice system. Anyone who is accused of committing a crime and has charges levied against him or her will likely have been the subject of some type of investigation. The type of investigation depends on the circumstances of the criminal act.

One of the most obvious ways that a crime is investigated happens when the police officer sees someone doing something illegal. In this case, the officer will likely ask questions after catching the person red-handed. The arrest could follow quickly after this since the officer witnessed the crime.

Another possibility is that a crime isn't witnessed, but it is reported to a police officer. In this case, an investigation that could involve detectives will likely occur. The detectives will try to trace what happened around the crime to figure out if there are any suspects to the crime. This can be a very quick process, but it could also take months or years for them to work through everything.

When a crime is being investigated, the police officers have to make sure they are following applicable laws. These include a person's constitutional rights, including the right that protects you against illegal searches and seizures. If there are any rights violated, you might be able to use those in your defense.

Determining how to handle a defense in these cases is the big question you will face. You have to think about each option and make decisions based on what you feel is in your best interests. This can be anything from working on a plea deal to trying to build the best defense you can.

Source: FindLaw, "How do the Police Investigate Crimes?," accessed Oct. 27, 2017