Criminal Defense Investigations for South Florida Attorneys
Prosecutors have police investigators, crime labs, and the case file built by the agency that made the arrest. Defense has the investigator the firm hires. That investigator's work is often the difference between a case that resolves favorably and one that does not.
Wasser Investigations conducts independent criminal defense field investigations for South Florida attorneys handling state and federal matters. Since 1985, we have located alibi witnesses, reconstructed timelines, identified gaps in evidence collection, and built the parallel factual record defense counsel needs to challenge the state's case.
What Criminal Defense Investigation Does
Most criminal cases turn on facts the police investigation either missed, dismissed, or never pursued. Defense investigation surfaces those facts. Common engagement areas include:
Alibi witness location, interview, and recorded statement collection
Independent scene examination and reconstruction, including photography and measurements
Review of evidence collection procedures and chain of custody for procedural challenges
Background investigation of state witnesses for impeachment material
Identification of witnesses law enforcement did not contact
Timeline reconstruction using digital footprint, surveillance footage from third parties, and physical evidence
Mitigation investigation for sentencing, including family, employment, education, and treatment history
How We Work With Defense Counsel
Every engagement begins with the attorney, not the client. We need to understand the theory of defense, the elements the state must prove, the discovery already received, and where the case appears strongest or weakest. From that conversation, we build an investigation plan aligned to the defense strategy.
Reports are delivered to counsel only, structured for work-product protection. Field findings are communicated as they develop, not held until a final report, so defense counsel can adjust strategy in real time as new facts surface.
Independent Investigation, Not Redundant Investigation
Effective criminal defense investigation is not a repeat of what police already did. It is the parallel work that tests the state's narrative against what the physical and witness evidence actually supports.
A police investigation is built around probable cause and prosecutorial usefulness. Witnesses who do not support the theory are often not interviewed. Evidence inconsistent with the charging narrative gets less attention. Defense investigation finds those gaps. It locates the witness who saw the defendant somewhere else at the time of the offense, the surveillance camera nobody pulled footage from, the recording-procedure problem with the lineup, the inconsistencies between an officer's report and what the bodycam actually shows.
Case Types We Support
We work with defense counsel across the full range of state and federal matters:
- Violent felonies including assault, robbery, and homicide
- Sex offenses where witness credibility, timeline, and scene reconstruction are central
- Drug cases involving questions of constructive possession, surveillance procedure, or informant credibility
- White-collar matters including fraud, embezzlement, and financial crimes
- DUI and traffic-related felonies with stop, evidence collection, or breath/blood procedural issues
- Federal matters including conspiracy and complex multi-defendant cases
- Post-conviction investigation in support of motions for new trial or relief
Why South Florida Defense Attorneys Work With Us
Four decades of fieldwork in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach is operational knowledge that cannot be substituted. We know the neighborhoods, the courts, the venues, the patterns. We can locate a reluctant witness or document a scene in hours rather than days. And the attorney works directly with the investigator handling the file. There is no account manager, no rotating staff, no delay between defense counsel's instruction and field execution.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what stage of a case should defense counsel engage an investigator?
As early as possible. Witnesses move, memories degrade, and physical scenes change. Pre-trial investigation conducted soon after charges are filed produces materially better results than investigation done weeks before trial. Pre-charge investigation is also available when counsel is involved during a grand jury or pre-arrest phase.
Do you handle both state and federal matters?
Yes. Wasser Investigations works on state criminal cases in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach as well as federal matters in the Southern District of Florida.
Can you locate witnesses who do not want to be found?
In most cases, yes. Witness location is one of our core capabilities. Forty years of South Florida fieldwork, combined with current investigative databases and skip-tracing methodology, lets us locate subjects who have moved, changed identities partially, or actively avoided contact.
How are reports structured for defense use?
Reports are delivered to defense counsel under work-product protection. Field findings are documented with timestamps, witness statements are recorded and transcribed where appropriate, and physical evidence is photographed with measurements and chain of custody preserved. Format is built for use in motions, depositions, and trial.
Will the investigator testify if needed?
Yes. Our investigators are available for sworn testimony at hearings, depositions, and trial as a standard part of the engagement. Evidence is gathered with that obligation in mind from the start.
If your client's case needs investigation that goes beyond the state's file.
Call (305) 278-8700 to discuss the matter. The initial consultation is confidential, direct attorney-to-investigator, and at no charge.
Call (305) 278-8700LICENSED FLORIDA AGENCY #A3200002