For many private investigators, a courtroom serves as the final destination of their investigation. And the question is always, is the gathered information admissible in court? Although the information gathered by private investigators working for a party is acceptable and helpful in court, it’s crucial to realize that all evidence must be obtained legally. No matter what kind of evidence you are gathering, it is imperative that you do so legally, within the bounds of the law, and with adequate and thorough documentation. An investigator from “Martin Investigation Services” can conduct various investigations to compile data to support the client’s claims. Our team of private investigators is former Federal agents with the FBI, DEA, IRS, or Secret Service with over 50 years of experience. Thomas G. Martin and his team of former Federal agents have a proven track record of delivering results to our clients. Martin Investigative Services has been featured in National and Local publications, from the Los Angeles Times to the Wall Street Journal.

Can I Legally Hire a PI to Track Someone’s Activity for Court Use?

Yes. The legal community works with private investigators all the time to find witnesses or track down witnesses. PIs can investigate a person within legal stipulations, such as by not recording private conversations with the person or accessing and using their personally identifiable information without their consent. For this type of investigation, ensure your PI contracts stipulate that evidence must be admissible, time and date stamped, and obtained in ways that don’t infringe on privacy. You may then be able to use this evidence to bolster your case and get a favorable ruling.

IS EVIDENCE GATHERED BY A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR ADMISSIBLE IN COURT?

Hiring an experienced private investigator, under the guidance of an attorney, can ensure that evidence is gathered in compliance with the Evidence Code and is admissible in court. Private investigators can provide valuable support in legal cases by collecting evidence that may be challenging to obtain otherwise.

People frequently ponder if the information obtained by paid private investigators can be used and accepted in court. When done correctly, the information an intimate investigator gathers can be used legally and determine whether a case is won or lost. Due to this, it’s essential to only work with licensed, highly trained, and experienced private investigators. 

A few exceptions should be considered, such as whether the parties concerned have a legitimate expectation of privacy.

However, there will be legal trouble if the evidence is not acquired correctly and laws are breached to gather the data. It is crucial to realize that a PI is not above the law for this reason. They must still act morally and in a way that complies with the law. It’s crucial to realize that a private investigator is subject to the law.

As experienced private investigators, we at MartinPI.com work within legal boundaries to ensure the evidence collected is not only relevant but admissible in court. This is especially pertinent when it comes to matters such as infidelity cases, child custody battles, or other legal disputes where private investigator input can have a significant impact on the case outcome.

One common question we encounter is: "Is evidence collected by a private investigator admissible in court?" The short answer is "Yes." However, it's important to note that evidence must be obtained legally and ethically. As licensed professionals, we adhere strictly to all regulations and laws governing private investigation work. This ensures that the evidence we present is acceptable within the court's parameters. Our team operates under a stringent code of ethics, which includes respecting individual privacy rights and maintaining strict confidentiality. We avoid illegal activities such as trespassing, wiretapping, or impersonation. We understand the limits of the law and work within those parameters to provide you with accurate and reliable information that can withstand the scrutiny of a courtroom.

How do private investigators ensure the accuracy of the information they provide?

Well, the accuracy is given by the cities, counties, and states as being court-ready information. That’s what they say, but we have due diligence to make sure that when we sign the report and sign off on it, we’ve done everything to not only double but triple verify the information. For example, if you’re going to say that somebody owns a property, just because it says it in the county that the person lives in, you might want to have to look at the grantee/grantor records. You may want to get a title search done so that you not only do it once, twice but three times to ensure that the information is accurate. If you don’t do that, then I think you have due diligence to tell the client; hey, we couldn’t verify this by any other source, but we’re fairly sure that this information is accurate.