DC Post Arrest Investigations

The government’s investigation into a person’s alleged activities does not end when an arrest is made. Law enforcement will continue to gather evidence and witnesses who they feel will strengthen their case. Thus, when a person is arrested, they should contact a criminal lawyer immediately who can work with the government to determine what evidence has been obtained and also conduct their own investigation. Read below to learn more about DC post-arrest investigations. And if you have been arrested, consult with an experienced lawyer today.

Investigations Following an Arrest

Law enforcement continues to investigate a case even after they have made an arrest. The extent of the investigation depends on the facts surrounding the case. For example, if an officer witnessed the crime by finding guns or drugs in the person’s car after pulling them over, the investigation might not be as extensive due to the fact that they will probably not need to find witnesses or look for additional evidence.

However, in certain cases, police officers will need to continue the investigation by following up. The officers will do their due diligence by testing drugs to confirm their authenticity or perform a fingerprint or DNA analysis on a gun. If the gun was not found on the person but was found in the trunk of a car, law enforcement wants to use scientific evidence to confirm that the individual being charged with gun possession actually did possess the gun.

When an accusation has been made against a person for assault, sexual abuse, or another violent crime, the government continues to do a follow-up investigation after an arrest. They speak to witnesses or look for further physical evidence.

When a person is shot or shots were fired, police officers perform follow-up ballistics testing. The arrest does not foreclose any further investigation. In almost every case there is some kind of follow-up. It may be as simple as getting one more witness statement or double-checking to see if there was video surveillance on the outside of a building. In many cases, there will be an extensive follow-up investigation. Even during the trial, as evidence is being presented, the prosecution may have law enforcement officers obtain additional pictures, conduct additional witness interviews, and search for additional witnesses or evidence.

Getting Search Warrants

The DC authorities investigate after an arrest in a myriad of ways. They are going to continue to try to identify, locate, and speak with witnesses. Authorities may conduct surveillance on the arrestee, if the person is not in custody, to try to gain evidence or get information about them.

Authorities can obtain search warrants to conduct searches of the property, can build off of earlier aspects of the investigation, and can get arrest warrants if there are co-defendants or other people involved in the case. In almost every case, authorities will continue to speak with witnesses or alleged victims. They may conduct a forensic investigation, whether it is drug analysis, DNA analysis, fingerprint analysis, or other investigations that continue after the person is arrested.

Common Aspects of Post Arrest Investigations

In some circumstances, if the prosecuting attorneys were not able to locate, identify, or speak to certain witnesses or continue those efforts, they make sure that they have done everything possible to locate any kind of video evidence. If this is a financial crime, government officials will continue by gathering financial records by using subpoenas. The authorities examine every type of evidence to fill in any gaps that may exist in the case.

Role of an Attorney During a Post Arrest Investigation

A defense attorney is a critical player in defending a person against these charges. Once a person is arrested or charged with a crime, the government does not speak directly with you because of various limiting circumstances. An attorney deals with the evidentiary matters and communicates with the prosecution and law enforcement. An attorney handles all of the litigation in a court case, which includes preparing a defense and making sure a person’s rights are protected.

While a person is in custody, their attorney can act on their behalf investigating the matter by speaking with law enforcement, the prosecutor and witnesses, as well as filing court documents. A criminal lawyer will visit the person in custody in order to prepare their defense strategy. To learn more DC post-arrest investigations, call and schedule a consultation with a DC criminal defense attorney today.