An Inside Look AT Being A Criminal Investigator

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)-When we hear about criminal investigations, we usually think of the police, but there is another team that aids the prosecution. Criminal Investigators.

Typically when we hear the term “criminal investigator” we think of shows like Law and Order or CBS’ Blue Bloods, but these criminal investigators with the District Attorney’s office have to perform a variety of duties including tracking down witnesses for court, and sometimes they might even have to testify in court.

“It’s a stressful job,” said Maurice  Johnson, criminal investigator for the 16th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. “We have a lot of responsibilities.”

Criminal investigators work as a liaison between the district attorney’s office and city, county and state law enforcement.

“They do the initial investigation and then they bring the cases to us and we help bridge that gap between the investigation and putting it into the criminal justice program,” said Steven Woodroof, criminal investigator for the 16th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

“We can go anywhere from helping the local law enforcement agency out on investigating a case, to getting ready for prosecutions of cases, getting ready for grand jury,” said Johnson. “One of our biggest responsibilities is making sure that all of the cases that are going before the grand jury are turned in to our office and they are received before going on the docket for presentation.”

Johnson and Woodroof said half of their days are spent in their offices slammed with paperwork they have to fill out.

“Once a case is getting ready to be presented to the grand jury, a docket is what it’s called,” Johnson explained. “That basically has all of the information for the prosecutors and the people on the grand jury to know exactly ll the details that are going into that case.”

And they spend the other half out in the field meeting with law enforcement officers and trying to track down witnesses to get them to appear in court.

“The most stressful times are during our court terms, because you have three district attorney’s, well I have three different attorney’s that I’m assigned to in those counties that all need three different things, so I’m constantly doing one thing or the other,” said Woodroof.

Criminal investigators also play a big role in getting a trial underway.

“When it comes to trials, it’s locating witnesses, making sure that everyone is in place, making sure that all of the experts are in place, and making sure there’s a smooth transition once the case starts during the trial,” said Johnson.

Both Johnson and Woodroof agreed that tracking down witnesses and trying to get them to appear in court are the toughest parts of their jobs.