I’m not an attorney and nothing here is legal advise.

Can you use hearsay in your investigation?

Well, anything you hear can point you in the right direction even if it’s not admissible in court!

Of course, you know me, and I do NOT mean you can break the law. You can’t. Stay legal! I’m just sayin’ that just because some bit of information you get isn’t admissible, that doesn’t mean it’s not usable!

As a Private Investigator, do you have to Mirandize someone?

Miranda rights are the rights that protect us from the government. You know, you’ve heard them on T.V. for 45+ years… “You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to an attorney. Etc.”

Here’s my take on it and my experience:

We are private citizens and not “agents of the state” so, we do not have to read someone their rights. (By the way, they’re OUR rights to!)

But watch the video for how I use not reading someone their rights to my advantage when they ASK me about it! And you can use this trick too.

P.S. – My latest training product is coming out very soon! In it I teach how you can get paid for working in the investigative world – doing skip traceing and surveillance – instantly – even if your state licensing requirements are impossibly high! Check back in the next few days!

Running your skip though databases may give you a good address, unless the skip is a true skip – someone hiding from someone or some obligation.

One of the hardest people to find is someone who’s car is being sought for repossession!

When that kind of “missing person” case comes up for you, frequently you’ll have to get out from behind your computer and do a – brace yourself for this – an actual investigation!

This Tuesday’s video leads you though a case study that may give you some ideas for when you hit a dead end on a skiptrace.

This is one of those things that can tell you a lot about a person.

When you’re talking with a client before a surveillance, listen to what they tell you and how they say it.

Most of us will say “He lives at 123 Main Street.” or “She lives in the big building at Main and High”

But some people say something more like this…

“He stays at 123 Main Street.” or “She stays in the big building at Main and High.”

Did you notice the difference? One says “lives at” and one says “stays at”.

Street people, gang members and many people who are living a lifestyle that’s kinda’ rough tend to say “stays at”. This is a subtle, but a very telling thing.

Most people who say “stays at” tend to have lived a rougher life. So…

If you’re being hired by a client and they use use the phrase “stays at” understand that the subject or location of your surveillance may be a little more hard-core than than a infidelity case in the suburbs.

Now don’t get me wrong. Either subject can turn ugly if they discover they’re being followed! You cannot afford to drop your guard or be sloppy because you think this guy or that gal is a softer target.

You MUST use your training and skills and bring your best work to each case.

I’m just sayin’, listen and observe the small things that can be very telling.

This can put you in the right mindset for your surveillance and that’s very important.

It can be the difference between failure and success.

And you learn it one of two ways…
You can have an experienced P.I. teach it to you or you learn by trial and error – which is way more expensive!