Specialized Legal Services
FullCircle Investigations, a Professional Corporation, based in New Mexico and Kansas, licensed in New Mexico, Kansas, and California, provides discrete, personal services tailored to client's needs. We network with private investigators across the nation and internationally providing services to clients that have included celebrities and the private and public sector.
This Agency offers both Criminal and Civil investigations to both the Prosecution and Defense in Kansas and New Mexico as AGENT OF COUNCIL for attorneys to assist in their duty to investigate, (National Legal Aid & Defender Association, Guideline 4.1).
We work with various companies and attorney firms to assist in wildfire litigation assistance, fraud, and AOE/COE subrogation worker’s compensation investigations. AOE and COE are abbreviations for an injury “Arising Out of Employment” and occurring during the “Course Of Employment “. This is the customary lawful standard in most states for whether an employee’s injuries are covered by workers’ compensation.
This agency provides assistance with missing persons, DUI fatality cases, cold cases, family/child custody, surveillance, infidelity, harassment, business/personal threat assessments, genealogy, and investigative journalism.
We offer POST Certified Background Investigations to state and local agencies as well as small to large private businesses, vetting potential business partners and vendors, comprehensive due diligence investigations, reputational and financial background checks.
Along with his prior law enforcement experience in both the military and civilian sector, the lead investigator has many years of experience in the commercial, industrial, computer chip, power generation, and nuclear industry. some of his many certifications include CDITC Criminal Defense Specialist, TSCM technician, Open-Source Intelligence, OSHA 30, FEMA IS-100, FEMA IS-700, Project Manager, Electrical & Civil Field Engineer, and former NERC SIP.
When it comes to social media investigations, no need to outsource as our skilled investigators have multiple certifications in OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) from internationally recognized trainers.
We collaborate with a nationally recognized leading provider of computer forensics, expert witness and author in data recovery services with over 4 decades of experience and court testimony. Do you feel your cell phone or computer has been compromised or have you lost your data? Whichever state you may be residing in, we can assist you.
Trained by an internationally recognized organization which trains government and dignitary entities, we also offer Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM) debugging (otherwise known as a bug sweep), identifying illegal electronic eavesdropping devices, and unwanted unknown hidden cameras.
For additional information on this agency’s services, continue scrolling and visiting our Services page and Blog Articles on special topics.
AGENT OF COUNCIL
The 6th Amendment
In all criminal prosecutions regardless of prosecution or defense, "the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense”.
A prosecutor has a critical role in the legal system and must abide by certain ethical standards and legal principles to ensure fairness and justice. Some key obligations include:
Upholding Justice: A prosecutor's primary duty is to seek justice, not merely to secure convictions. They must act in the interest of fairness and truth.
Respecting Legal and Ethical Standards: Prosecutors must follow the law, court procedures, and professional codes of ethics. This includes disclosing evidence, even if it may favor the defense (a concept known as "Brady disclosure").
Avoiding Conflicts of Interest: They must remain impartial and avoid any situation that could compromise their judgment or integrity.
Ensuring Fair Trials: Prosecutors have a responsibility to respect the rights of defendants, including the right to a fair trial, and must refrain from using improper tactics.
Respect for Victims and Witnesses: They must treat victims, witnesses, and all involved parties with dignity and respect, ensuring their rights are protected throughout the legal process.
A criminal defense lawyer’s duty is to determine, not in some moral sense, but from a knowledge of all the facts and applicable law, whether the prosecution can establish guilt in law. The defendant may feel guilty, but this is not relevant.
A lawyer needs to know as much as possible about the character and background of witnesses to take advantage of impeachment. If there existed eyewitnesses, the lawyer needs to know conditions at the scene that may have affected the witness’s opportunity as well as their capacity for observation.
Effective investigation by the lawyer has an important bearing on competent representation at trial, for without a suitable investigation the lawyer is not in a position to make the best use of such mechanisms during cross-examination or impeachment of adverse witnesses at trial, or to conduct plea discussions successfully.
Private Investigators acting as AGENT OF COUNCIL for attorneys to assist in their duty to investigate need to possess sharp investigative abilities, attention to detail and strong research talents. They should be skilled in conducting interviews, analyzing evidence, and evaluating the credibility of witnesses. In addition, they must have a deep understanding of legal procedures, laws and regulations of the state and county relevant to the cases they assist.
NLADA Guidelines for Criminal Defense Representation
“Counsel has a duty to conduct an independent investigation regardless of the accuser's admissions or statements to the lawyer of facts constituting guilt. The investigation should be conducted as promptly as possible.)” Guideline 4.1
(National Legal Aid & Defender Association, Guideline 4.1)
The NLADA states …
- Counsel has a duty to investigate a case before recommending that a guilty plea be taken or sought.
- Counsel may not sit idly by, thinking that investigation would be futile.
- Investigation is necessary for proper legal advice to the client.
- Investigators have special training that allows them to do a better job.
DUTIES OF A CDI
The duties of the Criminal Defense Investigator Specialist (CDI) will depend on the case assignment by the legal counsel. These should include efforts to secure information in the possession of the prosecution and law enforcement authorities, often called discovery. Getting an understanding of the allegations (charges) against the defendant, and requesting discovery documents to include Arrest Affidavit, Witness statements, etc., is often the beginning.
Using good ethics and investigative techniques, the CDI can often utilize 6 major components:
- Investigative Case Review & Analysis
- The Defendant Interview
- Crime Scene Inspection
- Background Investigations
- Witness Interviews
- Report of Investigation & Testifying
Many times, a CDI during document reviews or witness interviews, can identify inconsistencies and discrepancies while checking truths for veracity. The CDI may identify leads to pursue or find impeachable information regarding a witness. A CDI may locate evidence missed during the investigation.
If you are legal counsel and need assistance, feel free to contact us by filling out Submittal Form 4.