Tips .......

In addition to your free consultation with us about your case by email, telephone, IM or in person, we offer this information to you, to help you understand how we operate, and based upon over eight years of working with private Clients and Attorneys:

If you paid your Attorney a retainer and then your Attorney told you to go out and hire an Investigator, you need to know these three words: Client Trust Account. You have already paid for our services with your retainer to your Attorney. Your Attorney should pay us out of the Client Trust Account; something each Attorney is required by the State Bar to maintain for working your case including such things as hiring an Investigator. We don't enjoy hearing from prospective Clients, "My attorney told me to hire you but he took all my money". One way to avoid this is to call us before you call an Attorney!

Attorneys have been trained to believe that the power of the subpoena, and a courtroom or deposition appearance is all they need to find the truth. PEOPLE LIE. They will lie in court; they will lie in deposition. The best way to find out if someone is co-habitating for example, is surveillance and interviews with neighbors, etc. The best way to find out if someone is working under the table or if they are working at all, is to tail them to work. NOT subpoena them. NOT have them complete a financial disclosure. When they raise their right hand and swear to tell the truth...they won't. Good old fashioned detective work works!

If you hired us yourself, we work for you; not your Attorney. We will work with your Attorney to make best use of the retainer for the best possible outcome of your case. But in the end, we work for you. Don't let your Attorney talk you out of something you really want. Remember your Attorney works for you too! Its not the other way around. We have found that Attorneys don't know what PIs can do. They often think we are glorified Process Servers and they havn't a clue about what we are really capable of. Your need-to-know is important and respected, if for no other reason, than your peace of mind. If you want something done, we'll do it, as long as it is legal and ethical, and within the scope of our profession.

If you are an Attorney, please note: We do much more than serve papers (browse through our website or give us a call). And we operate off of retainers just like you do. So please do not expect us to do the work and bill you. You don't work that way and neither do we.

"I know", "He always", "She never". When a Client uses these words, the Client will usually be wrong. When a Client says "He won't drive the van; he never drives the van."...the target will drive away in the van. When the Client says "She always takes Elm Street and never Maple Street.", the target will take Maple Street. When the Client says "He always goes out on Friday nights.", the target will stay home alone, have pizza delivered, and go to bed. When the Client says "He won't be driving because he doesn't have a car or a license.", we'll watch him drive away in his own car and his DMV will show a valid license. When a Client says "Oh, he doesn't have another bank account; I know where he keeps his money.", he'll have at least one bank account stuffed with money that was opened during the marriage without her knowlege. Clients think they know people but they don't. That's why you hire us. These things actually happen; and all the time! Please leave it to us to find out what he or she really does. Do not hire us to prove the truth you've already decided upon. Let us find the truth for you.

Please don't ask us to tap anyone's telephone, including your own. Please don't ask us to install video cameras in someone else's house. Please don't ask us to use GPS tracking equipment on any vehicle not registered to you. Please don't ask us to go ahead and do the work but hold your check 'til pay day. This is aprofession not a hobby.

The Murphy's Laws of Survillance:
1) If tailing the Oscar Meyer Weiner Mobile, there will be two Oscar Meyer Weiner Mobiles on the same road, at the same time!
2) In-line fuses will blow, batteries will die, and electronic components will suddenly fail, the moment the most critical piece of equipment is turned on, just when we need it most.
3) You can maintain a visual contact with a car or a person for hours and just when they get ready to move, a big yellow school bus will stop right in your line-of-sight with flashing red lights and when its gone, the target is gone.
4) School Crossing Guards will always let our target pass by before jumping out in front of the P.I. with their little "Stop" sign. (This applies also to DOT or private traffic control personnel)
5) If parked in front of house A to watch house B, the occupants of house A will call law enforcement on us in less than 5 minutes. Not to worry as we've already notified law enforcement of our surveillance in most cases and we work closely with them.
Note: to overcome Murphy's Laws of Suveillance we use two or more investigators in two or more vehicles.

Attorney References
Eric Emanuels, Sacramento, CA
F. Patrick Keegan, Rocklin, CA
Mackenroth & Laird LLP, Auburn, CA
Maureen Rodarte, Auburn, CA
Law Offices of William Hulsy, Santa Ana, CA
Law Offices of Barry A. Zimmerman, Auburn, CA
Mary Quintero (Hugh Allen Law Office), Sacramento, CA
Bruce A. Lyon (Robinson, Lyon & Fulton), Auburn, CA
Debra Sitzberger, Nevada City, CA
Ronald Lange, Grass Valley, CA
Law Offices of Sandra Stanley, Grass Valley, CA
Maralee Nelder (Shine, Compton & Nelder), Grass Valley, CA
James S. Lazar, Auburn, CA
Geri Bray, Auburn, CA
John Dutton Law Offices, Auburn, CA
Chris Larsen, Auburn, CA
Richard Steffan, Auburn, CA
Reynolds Law Group, Auburn, CA
Davis & Leonard, LLP, Sacramento, CA
Julie Tingler, Pollock Pines, CA
Afton Harrington, Roseville, CA
Edward Koons (Johanson, Koons & Constantino), Auburn, CA
Law Offices of Al Patrick, Auburn, CA
Joseph Bell, Grass Valley, CA
Becker and Runkle, Cameron Park, CA
Gregorian Law Offices, El Cerrito, CA
H. Gary Smathers, Auburn, CA
Gabrielle Fitzmaurice-Kendrick, Sacramento, CA
Kirby & Kirby, Redondo Beach, CA
Jeff Busch, Gold River, CA
Ray Shine (Shine, Compton & Nelder), Grass Valley, CA
Susan Ralston, Roseville, CA


GUMSHOE defined.......

We now use the word gumshoe to informally describe a person who works as a private investigator or detective but the original gumshoe was quite literally something people would wear on their feet.

Gumshoes in the late 1800s were shoes or boots made of gum rubber. Precursors to contemporary sneakers, these shoes were soft-soled and quieter than other shoes available at the time.

At the start of the 1900s, "to gumshoe" meant to sneak around quietly. Later the word referred to either thieves or the police who caught the crooks.

By 1908 the word almost exclusively described the good guys, the people who investigated the crimes by acting stealthily or surreptitiously.

The term has also been described a Private Eye who "sticks like gum" to someone as in a surveillance on foot.

     Glossary of 1930s Criminal Slang

BEEF: to betray another, or for a victim to make a fuss over his loss.

BELCH: same as beef.

BIT: a prison or jail term.

BOOK: pocketbook.

BOOKED: caught and booked by the police.

BULL: a policeman.

BULL-OUT-OF-HARNESS: a plain-clothes man.

[To] BUZZ: to pick pockets.

CADGER: a beggar. (Cadging: begging)

CALL THE TURN: said of a criminal after a detective has identified him.

CASE: a safe.

COPPED OUT: arrested.

[To] CRACK: to break into.

[To] CRACK A CASE: burglary

CRIB: a gambling house.

DIP: pickpocket.

ON THE DIP: pickpocketing.

STALLING THE DIP: aiding a pickpocket.

ELBOW: detective.

[To] EASE: to rob.

FALL MONEY: funds pooled by criminals to secure bail, bribe officicials, and to employ attorneys.

FENCE: a receiver of stolen property.

FLY-COP: a detective.

FRONT OFFICE: police headquarters.

GET-AWAY: to escape with plunder.

GOPHER-MEN: safe-blowers.

GRAFT: used freely as a slang term for all kinds of illegal practices.

GUN: thief.

HOLLER: to tell or report to the police.

HUSH MONEY: (see Fall Money)

KNOCK: (see Beef)

LEATHER: Pocketbook.

MILKY TOGS: white clothes.

MOB: robbing with companions; Five men generally make up a "mob".

MOLL: a girl.

MOLL-BUZZER: a pickpocket who robs only women.

MOUTH-PIECE: a thief paid by the police for information; also a criminal lawyer.

MUG: the face or photograph.

MUGGED: a thief if "mugged" whose picture appears in the rogues gallery.

[To] NAIL: to steal.

NICK: to rob.

PERCENTAGE COPPERS: policemen who protect thieves for a percentage of their plunder.

PETER: a safe.

PETERMEN: safe-blowers.

PORCH-CLIMBER: second-story workers.

QUEER: counterfeit money.

RAP: see Beef.

READER: a pocketbook.

REEF A LEATHER: to raise the lining of a pocket so the contents will fall out.

SHOVER OF THE QUEER: an utterer of counterfeit money.

SLOUGH-WORKER: country-house worker.

[To] STALL: to screen a robbery while it is being perpetrated.

SPOT: a term in prison; Ten spot = 10 years.

SQUARE IT: to turn honest.

SQUEAL: see Beef.

STIR: Penitentiary.

STOOL-PIGEON: see Mouth-piece.

STRONG-ARM: highwayman.

SWAG: plunder other than money (as jewelry, etc.)

SWEAT-BOX: the third degree

THIMBLE: a watch.

TIP-OFF: to inform the police of a thief's whereabouts.

TOOL: the man who actually obtains the purse in a gang of pickpockets.

TOUCH: to rob.

YEGG-MEN: tramp thieves.