He also helped crack a major international cigarette smuggling ring. For the best chance at beating a drug charge, you need an experienced drug crime attorney in Florida fighting hard on your behalf to prove your innocence to the courts and secure your freedom. Once I reached out to Matt he was back in touch within the hour. Head of the criminal defense division and fellow partner Matt Shafran is an experienced criminal defense attorney in Florida who is ready and willing to fight aggressively in a court of law to defend your rights. For a free legal consultation, call 215.515.3360. Schedule a free consultation today. Once the case was done, ICE was also done with Lalo. On the other hand, when law enforcement fails to follow proper procedures, then credibility becomes an issue that can be used to defend against these charges. I would recommend Justin without reservation to anyone seeking representation. The government could decide to charge someone who does that with obstruction of justice, among other things. This is the first time that Bencomo has talked publicly. The crux revolves around the confidential part of the confidential informant. Yes, a felon can be an informant. 913, though most called him by the nickname Lalo. The CI is not really taken to jail or if the CI is taken to jail, the CI is released later. The CI may be wearing a wire or recording device. The high court held that reliance on informant testimony implicates . Matthew and his team made calls and were very persistent. $2M Missouri witness protection fund finds few takers in second year of operation, Confidential Informants Review of Houston Police Narcotics Unit. It is ugly. At Weinstein Legal, we work diligently to uncover all of the facts surrounding your case and believe that this is essential when considering how to beat a drug trafficking charge. Go to a law library and take a look at the United States Code Annotated or the United States Code Service for cases citing those statutes and see what happens when a confidential informant is "beaten". His sincerity, empathy and commitment to advocating on my behalf were apparent. This monograph provides guidelines for law enforcement agencies to use in the management of confidential informants. The killings in Juarez took place more than six years ago. You may have signed up to be a CI under duress or felt forced into it after the police threatened to lock you up for the rest of your life or arrest other family members involved with drug activity. "Are you kidding me? But this is nearly non-existent in state cases and rare, at best, in federal cases. People who submit reviews are either individuals who consulted with the lawyer/law firm or who hired the lawyer/law firm and want to share their experience of that lawyer or law firm with other potential clients. "He kept us so busy we were so behind on reports that we told him to go take a vacation just to let us catch up on reports," Bencomo says. All reviewers are verified as attorneys through Martindale-Hubbells extensive attorney database. If you have questions regarding drugs charges, or any other criminal defense matters, please contact Ketcham Law for a consultation by calling us at (205) 296-4233. At FindLaw.com, we pride ourselves on being the number one source of free legal information and resources on the web. For a free case evaluation that is completely free of obligation, contact Weinstein Legal law firm today and ask for defense lawyer Matt Shafran. A relatively untested CI, with no resulting arrests or convictions, may be less likely to be believed. If law enforcement learns otherwise, all deals or hopes of deals could be off between the Government and the CI. Only attorneys practicing at least three years and receiving a sufficient number of reviews from non-affiliated attorneys are eligible to receive a Rating. In a court case, the prosecution must disclose any evidence and witnesses they have against the defense during a discovery process. and Raul Loya The information may prove to relate to exculpatory evidence. Our son was distraught and frightened and Matt was very reassuring and supportive. The Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings process is the gold standard due to its objectivity and comprehensiveness. A conviction can have far-reaching negative impacts on your life and you stand to lose quite a few freedoms. vPxK s&K0!6XYY'`aIbce9"\*z816&V:::Z. The CI meets you at a certain place and unknown to you, the police are watching the whole deal. . %%EOF Confidential informants arent the same as anonymous sources or tipsters. The extant literature on the topic is primarily comprised of experientially based practical guides to informant management and a handful of field studies drawing information from informants in the study of other undercover practices. If you are wondering how to beat a drug charge in the state of Florida and have an upcoming court case for these criminal charges, contact Weinstein Legal today and ask for criminal defense attorney Matt Shafran. The report by the Justice Department's Office of Inspector General (IG) found serious deficiencies with the DEA's confidential-source program, including poor oversight that "exposes the DEA to an. When a snitch provides incriminating evidence that leads to arrest, the government must now disclose non-identifying information about the source of the police officer's information. Confidential Informant Testifies as Government Witness. Among the victims were two U.S. residents. For example, there is a difference between the criminal offense of drug possession and drug traffickingbut what is the difference and how do you know which is applicable in your specific case? The CI is searched before and after the deal by the police. The purpose of the ruling is to establish an informant . On the tape, Lalo looks more like a victim than a drug thug. Raul Bencomo, then an agent with U.S. Customs, assigned code No. 0000000016 00000 n In a court case, the prosecution must disclose any evidence and witnesses they have against the defense during a discovery process. During several phone conversations with NPR last fall, Lalo insisted on speaking only Spanish. However, sometimes, knowing who a confidential informant is in the case can be crucial to the defense team. Meeting with a lawyer can help you understand your options and how to best protect your rights. He was also very reassuring to us, the distressed parents, and always provided an almost immediate response to our questions and concerns. The informant is given money from the police department, with the serial numbers recorded, to ensure that the money is actually given to the suspect. You may feel you are being watched. A confidential informant (CI) is an individual who gives information about on-going criminal activity to the police. It often comes to light that things may not be as they seem and this can greatly help your defense. For example, if it can be shown that the confidential informant had the opportunity to obtain drugs and plant them, the evidence obtained in the controlled buy would be useless. It should be noted as well that it is very risky and dangerous to put out on social media or in the rumor mill that someone is working as a CI. Your attorney could fight for you during any pretrial motions on whether the identity of the CI will be revealed or called as a witness. Often paper trails will be used to support an informant\'s version of events, such as cell phone and travel records. Identifying an informants true motives for providing information increases the chances of maximizing the quality and quantity of information they provide and being able to conduct an effective criminal investigation while at the same time , keeping everyone involved safe. Visit https://www.gustitislaw.com for more information about inform. However, very few CIs have a clean criminal record, and many of them are "flipped" by law enforcement to avoid harsher punishment for their own crimes. Jordan was an expert witness in a civil suit filed against ICE by relatives of people killed by the Mexican drug cartel. Are Confidential Informants Credible? He says Lalo was the keeper of the keys. But that is the sobering truth of being a CI. In fact, it is possible for a defense team to call a confidential informant as a witness during the court case, and oftentimes that person is able to provide valuable information that sheds light on the tactics of the prosecution. While we continue to believe that the motives of a confidential informant can be summarized in one or two words, for example, fear, money or a reduced sentence, our interactions with them will always remain superficial and be fraught with risk. Call 954-845-0505 any time, day or night, to speak with a member of our team. The pros and cons of being a confidential informant. Police and prosecutors generally want to keep the identity of their CI a secret. Attention is given to forms, reports, records, and files that are the foundation of the information gathering and control procedures. LockA locked padlock He explained to my husband and I what my son was facing. Generally, informants may enjoy more protection from being identified or forced to testify in court than other laypeople. There are legal defenses available to you. What Are the Different Types of Injunctions in Florida? To the U.S. government, he was officially informant No. But in either language, his story is the same. Counter-Terrorism and Countering Violent Extremism, Intelligence Management and Intelligence Led Policing, Expert testimony -Confidential Informant Management, The Human Source Management System (confidential informant book), Human Sources - Managing Confidential Informants, FREE: Intelligence Led Policing - Training Literature, FREE Deploying undercover officers or confidential informants into places of worshipNew Page, Free: Dealing with Domestic Violence: A guide for Police Officers, Motives and Motivations of Confidential Informants, Why - Understanding Motive and Motivation. If the FBI has identified you as a person who has a connection to a criminal enterprise, activity or target, the Bureau may approach you to provide it with information. This is very wrong and a misconception. Official websites use .gov If a confidential informant can be used against you; Whether and when the identity of a confidential informant has to be disclosed; How a confidential informant can hurt your case; and.