"If he confessed, why have a trial?"

How often have you heard (or even said) something similar?  As the economy has cut deeply into the budgets of court systems everywhere, lawyers, judges and citizens search desperately for solutions.  Of all the people who have the right to access the court system, those that garner the least support and sympathy are those accused of crimes against children and of murder.  It's all too easy to point to these defendants, especially when there is a confession, and ask why they should be allowed to take up valuable court time that could be allocated to someone who might be found not guilty.  With the ever-increasing use of DNA to verify or challenge convictions all over the country, it has been found that false confessions led to wrongful convictions in a surprising number of cases.  Could you tell the difference between a false confession and a real one?  ABC is going to give you a chance to find out.  Check out this article, and see if you can identify the false confession.  You can also read more about false confessions here.

If you have questions about criminal defense investigations, contact us for more information.

Byrd, Stillinger & Associates Private Investigations

BSA Criminal Defense Investigations

Pursuit Magazine publishes many fine articles for Private Investigations professionals. In many ways, the ethics issues for Private Detectives are similar to those facing attorneys.  Of course, an attorney who hires a PI is responsible for the PI's ethical conduct. PI's should familiarize themselves with the ethical duties and restrictions of attorneys, and attorneys should have that potentially awkward concversation with any PI they work with to ensure that they are knowledgeable in this area. A growing area of confusion and sincere concern involves the "whats" and ""hows" of electronic media, survelliance and discovery.   In this article titled "Ethics in an Electronic Era: 50 Ways to Get in Ethical Trouble with Technology", authors Sharon Nelson and John Simek provide food for thought for both attorneys and Private Investigators.  Unlike most basic articles on the subject, this one is may very well cause many to raise their eyebrows as they think"ohhhh, hadn't thought of that!" and "wonder if the other side knows this?"  Of course, check the statutes and ethics rules for your jurisdiction - have the conversation with your fellow professional - together you can obtain the best results for the client and maintain high ethical standards.

At Byrd, Stillinger & Associates Private Investigations, we work with clients and attorneys to obtain the best evidence ethically, efficiently and quickly in investigations ranging from adultery and custody to insurance fraud and criminal defense.  Contact us for more information.

Byrd, Stillinger & Associates Private Investigations

www.investigatesc.com

1416 Park Street, Columbia, SC 29201

Columbia, Lexington, Camden, Sumter, Newberry, Winnsboro, Chapin and statewide 

Often, by the time we get involved in a claim, there are complications due to the passage of time since the claim was made.  Missed opportunities abound.  In this article from www.WorkersCompensation.com entitled "New Ways a Private Eye Can Reduce Fraudulent and Frivolous Claims", adjusters and claims managers are encouraged to consider getting a trained PI involved at the beginning of every case to save money and time. 

Here at BSA, we have a full staff of trained investigators - our firm has been investigating fraudulent claims since 1991.  Contact us to discuss your investigation needs.

Byrd, Stillinger & Associates Private Investigators

www.investigatesc.com

Take a look at this article on a recent heinous crime where eyewitnesses gave vastly different descriptions of a single perpetrator.  It's natural to want to believe a victim when they say they know who attacked them, but we need to be careful.  According to the Innocence Project, the convictions in many of the DNA -based exonerations to date were based in large part on eyewitness identification.  Thorough investigation and resolution to the backlog in DNA testing can help avoid these wrongful convictions.  If you have questions about criminal defense investigations, contact us for more information.

 Byrd, Stillinger & Associates Private Investigators

www.investigatesc.com

Todays press release from the SC Insurance News Service reports on a guilty plea by a Lexington man charged with insurance fraud.  His claim was "only" a little over $2000.  Why report on this?  Because it is the accumulation of "small" claims like his that cost insurers, and therefore us, their customers, millions of dollars every year.  According to the SC Attorney General's office, in 2009 nearly $7 million in fraudulent claims were reported just here in South Carolina.  False or exaggerated medical, automobile collision and property/casualty claims raise insurance rates for everyone.  What can you do?   Report suspected insurance fraud!   Not only is it the right thing to do, it is required by law.  Did you know that in SC, it is illegal NOT to report insurance fraud?  According to the SC Attorney General, you "must report insurance fraud if you have reason to believe someone has committed this crime."  Their Insurance Fraud Brochure provides additional information on fraud, including their 24-hour fraud hotline.  Call 1-888-95-fraud or get an Insurance Fraud Complaint Form online to make a report - you can remain anonymous if you choose. Every claim, like every vote, really counts. 

 Byrd, Stillinger & Associates Private Investigators

www.investigatesc.com

At Byrd, Stillinger & Associates, we understand that when our services are needed, clients are facing a wide variety of emotional, practical and financial concerns.  The prospect of a possible divorce, a change in custody or alimony brings with it a level of uncertainty in any economic climate.  As we talk with our clients we see more and more that the state of the economy is an increasing concern, and we want to help.  We don't want you, your family, your friends, or your clients to settle for second best.  As a fully staffed, licensed, insured, experienced firm, we can provide the best service for you, and our new rates and specials, we hope, will enable more concerned spouses and parents to get the answers they need and deserve.  Click here to see our Fees page, and find out about our hourly rates, reduced mileage rate, FREE GPS tracking and FREE vehicle "bug sweep."

Contact us any time if you have questions or would like to discuss a case or concern - we want to hear from you.

 Byrd, Stillinger & Associates Private Investigators

www.investigatesc.com

Digital data mining is increasingly important, and lawyers are not always the most tech-savvy folks out there.  Here is a link to 4 articles that give you the basics and a little more.  Highly recommended for lawyers and anyone interested in what data is out there and how to get it!

"Computer Forensics for Lawyers who Can't set a Digital Clock"

 Byrd, Stillinger & Associates Private Investigators

www.investigatesc.com

We all worry about crashes and hackers - but one of the biggest risks we face in terms of laptop security is simply forgetting it.  Of course, car breakins and other incidents can put our data in the wrong hands, as well.  Fortunately there are a number of commercially available programs to help us protect our data and even recover our devices once they've fallen into the wrong hands.  Check out this article about some of the products available. 

 Byrd, Stillinger & Associates Private Investigators

www.investigatesc.com