THE INVESTIGATION DIVISION

OUR MISSION

To provide investigative and support services of the highest ethical and professional standards, second to none, in the defense of indigent clients in San Mateo County.
The Private Defender Program understands that, in a wide variety of cases, the role of
an investigator is crucial to the high-quality representation to which our clients are entitled. The PDP’s commitment to providing this valuable service is clear and investigators are available for every case.

In many cases our lawyers, no matter how talented, cannot effectively represent a client and deliver the high quality of service demanded of them without the assistance of a skilled investigator. It is the long-standing policy of the PDP to maintain a bench of highly qualified investigators to assist our lawyers with any type of case – including misdemeanors, felonies, juvenile delinquency and dependency cases upon request. Investigators are always available and all reasonable requests for an investigator are granted.

The Chief Investigator presides over a finely tuned organization of some of the most talented investigators in the country. The team’s collective breadth of experience, diversity and dedication make them a very formidable tool in the search for truth and quest for justice. If a particular case investigator does not possess the skills or expertise to effectively complete a particular task, the Chief Investigator will identify an investigator who does and assign him/her to assist in the investigation. A complex case could have two to three investigators assigned to assist the lead investigator with a variety of tasks.

The investigative services available to every PDP client include, but are not limited to, locating and interviewing witnesses, serving subpoenas on witnesses for trial, photographing and documenting crime scenes. Investigators can also help obtain evidence, such as medical records, cell phone records, camera footage and business records. Our investigators work closely with the assigned attorney to develop the most effective strategy for each case. They are a part of the defense team and will maintain the confidentiality of every aspect of the case.