Pros and Cons of Becoming a Confidential Informant

Posted in General FAQ'S on January 29, 2017

Becoming a confidential informant for law enforcement in order to receive a plea deal is something often romanticized in movies and television. But what the shows gloss over is that these agreements are usually complicated, and involve specific parameters for criminal and police alike to ensure that each hold up their end of the bargain. If you’re in a situation in which you may become an informant, be sure to have a Riverside criminal defense lawyer by your side.

Most of the time, police will not offer the possibility of being an informant in order to decrease the severity of your charges unless what you know leads to two arrests of equal or greater severity. There is great incentive to becoming an informant for police, but if done wrong, it can backfire drastically and put your general safety at risk.

Can Being An Informant Help My Case?

If this is your first arrest, or you generally have a clean criminal record, the likelihood of even being offered a plea deal as an informant is thin at best. It is still possible, because a person who has been relatively trouble-free is much more trustworthy in the eyes of the jury than someone with a rap sheet a half mile long. Not only that, but you have to have a breadth of information that detectives will want.

A criminal usually becomes an informant after an arrest for drug trafficking or distribution, organized crime, and scams. The police will want to get to your supplier or boss, find other drug deals that might be happening, and they will want to use you to get that done. Based on the deal that they might offer, this might sound appealing. It’s the fine print of the deal that you would have to pay much attention.

When you do talk with detectives, keep the conversation away from your current case as much as possible. Instead, talk about what you know and what you’ve seen in your dealings with other criminals. Who is doing what and where they are is valuable information to law enforcement, and it will help in your negotiations for a plea deal.

What Will Police Expect?

Usually, becoming a confidential informant is not a one-time thing; you will be required to essentially work on the police’s behalf for months or even years, which varies based on whatever they deem is necessary. Another important thing to remember is that becoming an informant does not absolve you of punishment; there may still be fines and/or jail time to serve depending upon the severity of your crimes.

If the police like what they hear from you, they may set up a “controlled buy,” wherein you will use marked bills to make a drug purchase. This helps them pinpoint the kingpins who are the masterminds behind the operation. You may have to do several of these in order for law enforcement to get all the information they need.

How Can I Protect Myself?

As we’ve stated before, informant agreements are usually very complex. The parameters and details of the arrangement are made in excruciating detail, because the police need to protect themselves just as much as you do. Having a California defense attorney on hand will ensure that you are not getting the raw end of the deal.

The police are not in the business of making promises; in order to protect yourself, you’ll need assurance that the police are going to protect you in the event that something goes wrong. Should your identity be compromised or a controlled buy goes awry, you need to know the police will protect you. They need to set you up to be successful for them and you should not have to worry about being incriminated for future crimes when making deals for the police.

Call The Law Offices of Graham Donath

If you have been arrested and are looking to become an informant, contact the Law Offices of Graham Donath. Graham is an experienced criminal defense attorney who will ensure your rights are being upheld and that the police will keep their end of the bargain. Your initial consultation is free, so call today for strong representation.