- What experience does your agency have with criminal cases?
- Our agency has assisted criminal defense lawyers in state and federal courts in hundreds of criminal cases in South Florida. Our founder, Mark Murnan, is a board certified criminal defense investigator (CCDI) and a Certified Legal Investigator (CLI). He worked for fourteen years as a staff investigator for the Palm Beach County Public Defender (1984-1990) and the Federal Public Defender for the Southern District of Florida (1993-2001). Our field investigators attend annual conferences hosted by the National Defender Investigator Association (NDIA), the National Association of Legal Investigators (NALI) and the Florida Association of Licensed Investigators (FALI). We also contribute to the profession by speaking and writing on various subjects related to criminal defense investigations.
- What services does your agency provide to criminal defense attorneys?
- See “Attorney Services-Criminal“
- Do you accept cases in federal court?
- Yes. We regularly assist counsel in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida and have worked frequently with lawyers from other districts.
- Does your agency accept court appointments?
- We do accept court appointments in the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit (Palm Beach County) and in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
- What is a “Board Certified Criminal Defense Investigator” (CCDI)?
- Awarded by the Executive Council of the Criminal Defense Investigation Training Council (CDITC), “The C.C.D.I. designation is awarded to professional criminal defense investigators who have met the minimum training and experience requirements required to perform effectively within the discipline of criminal defense investigation as an expert. Investigators seeking the C.C.D.I. designation are evaluated by the Academic Director and Executive Council on an individual basis. The applicants must meet the minimum requirements enacted by the board in order to qualify for the C.C.D.I. designation.” www.defenseinvestigator.com/certification.html
- What are your fees for criminal cases?
- Fees vary depending on the circumstances of each case. We offer a flat-rate fee for certain cases, or an hourly rate with a retainer for others. Since our agency conducts investigations in every type of criminal case–from simple misdemeanors, to violent felonies, to multi-defendant drug conspiracy cases in federal court–we have learned that no two cases are exactly alike. Therefore, no two fee arrangements are exactly alike. However, our experience and success are well worth the investment of resources (Cases Successfully Resolved), especially when your client’s freedom is at stake.