What Is a Pre-File Investigation?
By Jonathan Blecher on April 26, 2017
Do you have reason to believe that you are currently being investigated by the police or one of their trained detectives? If your answer is “yes,” surely something led you to that conclusion. Perhaps the police have been asking around about you, or perhaps a detective left his card at your house while you were out. Or, perhaps your friends sent you a text saying, “Hey, the cops are asking about you.”
On the other hand, you may have been involved in a crime (or know someone who was), and you’re pretty sure the cops are hot on your trail. Regardless of why you think the police are investigating you, it’s important that you understand what’s happening.
Assuming you are right and the police are investigating you, that means you are the target of a police investigation, otherwise known as a “pre-file investigation.” A pre-file investigation simply refers to the investigation conducted before criminal charges are filed against a suspect.
During the investigation, the detectives are trying to:
- Track down suspects.
- Narrow the suspects down to the actual individuals who committed the crime.
- Gather sufficient evidence against a suspect or suspects to obtain an arrest warrant.
- Convince the prosecutor to file criminal charges against the suspect.
- Arrest the detectives’ suspect and get him or her in custody.
- Commence a full-blown prosecution against the suspect, who is now a “defendant.”
So, do you think you’re the target of a pre-file investigation in Miami-Dade County? If your concerns are true, this means the detectives on the case are currently (as we speak) trying to gather as much evidence as possible to 1) determine if you’re the most likely suspect, and if so, 2) arrest and charge you with a criminal offense, whatever that may be.
If the detectives gather enough evidence against you, what happens next is they take it to the prosecutor. If the detectives are successful in convincing the prosecutor that they have a case, the prosecutor will move to get an arrest warrant and file criminal charges against you.
What should you do, should you sit back and wait to see what happens? Sitting and doing nothing is a bad idea. As a former prosecutor, I know what’s happening behind the scenes and I know what you’re up against. I suggest that you contact my Miami criminal defense firm at once to schedule a free criminal defense consultation. We can go over your situation in detail and I’ll advise you on how to be proactive before charges are filed against you.
Need a hard-hitting Miami criminal defense attorney? Contact my firm today!
