Investigations

If you are contacted by the police regarding an investigation of potential criminal conduct or if you are arrested for a crime, hiring an attorney can make an immediate difference in the ultimate outcome for your case.

If nothing happens immediately, some people believe that nothing will happen. This is a mistake. The police are not always in a hurry to complete their investigation and refer charges to a prosecutor. Sometimes this process can take months or even more than a year.

Natalie has handled many investigations matters. Natalie’s hard work through investigation, consultation with clients and discussions with prosecutors has assisted clients in avoiding prosecution entirely, or in mitigating and negotiating an outcome in advance of a charging decision by a prosecutor.

Natalie will thoroughly review the incident under investigation with you and formulate a plan for next steps. Oftentimes these investigations can involve both DCYF (CPS) and criminal law enforcement, or an investigation at a school or workplace. Other times, some sort of licensing agency is informed, and that separate investigation needs to be factored into the plan of attack.

Natalie has handled dozens of investigation cases for clients. The involvement of an attorney as both a strategist and a mouthpiece for the client greatly reduces unnecessary escalation of investigations.

If a case will be referred to a prosecutor by law enforcement, it oftentimes helps to have an attorney able to speak with a detective about the case and what evidence might be helpful to include in the referral. Evidence provided to the detective will be included in the package to the prosecutor and can make the difference between charges or no charges, or a lesser charge. Natalie routinely hires investigators to assist in obtaining helpful evidence for her clients. For example, you may have witnesses who want to assist and know something about the case but were not contacted by law enforcement. Providing witness statements, social media evidence, text messages, etc., are all a part of making sure that a client’s side is included in the analysis of charging decisions and even in whether a detective decides to refer a case at all.

If a case is referred, Natalie provides a similar approach in contacting the prosecutor who is reviewing the case and making charging decisions. Natalie can provide the results of her own investigation to the prosecutor for consideration. Natalie and the prosecutor often discuss whether the evidence meets the requirements for a charge, or a conviction. Other times, Natalie provides mitigation information to the prosecutor as well – information about mental health, disabilities, work history, prior good conduct, relevant lack of criminal history, counseling, etc. to the prosecutor for consideration in whether a charge is appropriate or necessary for community safety and accountability.

When clients face CPS investigations, it can impact their work (teachers or childcare providers, for example) or their ability to parent. CPS investigations are often the most emotional types of investigations a client can be involved in. Natalie has significant experience working with families undergoing CPS involvement. Natalie can guide you through that process, which is very different from a criminal investigation where most of the time clients are advised not to make statements. Cooperating with CPS requires a different mindset, and a strategic understanding of what the investigators will ask and look for in progressing their investigation. Natalie can communicate directly with the CPS investigators, and should the investigator make an administrative finding of fault by a client, Natalie is able to appeal and assist clients through the administrative appeals process as well.

If you or someone you love is facing court involvement or is being investigated by the police or CPS for any crime, call Natalie Findley-Wolf at 206.228.2800 to set up a free one-hour consultation. Phones are answered 24/7.