Confidential Informants can never be 100% protected by the Government or anyone else. Confidential informants are one of those things that seem to lurk around in the underground of criminal activity. If the CI doesn't testify against you but the State uses the evidence from the CI against you, your attorney would need to know how to argue against the admissibility of this information. The equipment has evolved with technology and the cameras can be as simple as a pair of glasses, a keychain, a button on a shirt, etc. A confidential informant's information can possibly be used against you for your arrest and later in your trial if you request a jury trial. The Largest Snitch List on The Internet and You Can Contribute. What can you do about it? Find snitches in your area code locator. The police have the upper hand on CI's. You may feel you are being watched. If you are working as a CI, you may be wondering, how many buys are "enough" to work off my charges? But that is the sobering truth of being a CI.
Anyone considering being a CI should first talk to a criminal defense attorney. Sometimes the police will even arrest the CI to make the whole operation look like the CI wasn't working as a snitch. Because of this, the Government often doesn't give CI's a break in their case or dismiss the case until the CI has testified truthfully at trial. Find snitches in your area code numbers. In the end the police are working for the government and you are left holding the bag. The government does not have the resources or time to do this.
The Confidential Informant may be a drug dealer, a significant other, someone you are friends with, someone that works for you, someone that you work for, etc. The CI is assigned a CI number and agrees to provide information about your case to the police. The largest snitch list on the internet is one that anyone can contribute to. Find snitches in your area code. There may be other reasons why the identity of the CI will be revealed. This past spring advocacy groups fighting stay at home orders used public records requests to acquire unredacted data submitted to government agencies through online forms setup to solicit tips about social distancing violations. However, the identity of a confidential informant will be revealed to the Defendant if the Defendant goes to trial. Is a CI involved in the case against you? If CI's were public record, it would put their lives in danger and the lives of their loved ones.
If law enforcement learns otherwise, all deals or hopes of deals could be off between the Government and the CI. Law enforcement may keep threatening jail or charges unless you work "one more deal" for them. The CI is searched before and after the deal by the police. It should be noted as well that it is very risky and dangerous to put out on social media or in the rumor mill that someone is working as a CI. Your attorney could fight for you during any pretrial motions on whether the identity of the CI will be revealed or called as a witness. There is case law that the defense attorney can argue about disclosing the identity of tipsters versus active participants in criminal cases that involve CI's.
People who are arrested because you are a CI can put your life and the life of your loved ones in danger. You may feel trapped by serving as a Government informant. The police can use information gained from the CI about you that the Government can use when prosecuting your case. This means that the CI will have an agreement with the police. If the CI does testify at your trial, your attorney will have the opportunity to cross examine the CI and ask questions about any deals the CI made with the state.
This decision can affect you and others for the rest of your life. Even with the promise of payment, the decision to become a CI is very dangerous. There may be cameras in the location that the deal takes place. The pros and cons of being a confidential informant.
A common myth that is absolutely not true is that confidential informants do not testify in trials. If the CI works enough drug deals and/or provides enough information to the police that leads to a conviction or arrest, the prosecutor decides whether the charges will be dropped or lessened to a plea agreement for the CI. Most of the snitches named on the site at this time actually came from government records. The CI must provide 100% honest information. The CI may be wearing a wire or recording device. A confidential informant ("CI") is someone that is typically facing criminal charges and law enforcement convinces the CI to "work off" their criminal charges. The CI may do "controlled buys. " More than just accusations posted by people online. Proof of how the cops zeroed in on you. It all depends on the facts of your case. This is very wrong and a misconception. CI's are regular folks that provide law enforcement with confidential, possibly damning, information against you.
The problem is that there is no one to police the police. Once the government uses you as a CI, they can be done with you. This is yet one more reason why being a CI is dangerous and risky to you and your loved ones. Whatever the amount of money that may be offered in exchange for you becoming a CI may not be worth you and your loved ones being put in danger. There is no obligation from the Government to protect you the rest of your life because you served as a CI. And the CI must answer the question truthfully or else possibly face sanctions in court. Can a confidential informant hurt my case? A lawyer may be able to communicate with the agent to notify the agent you no longer wish to work as a snitch, or at least get an idea of how many more times the agent expects you to work. Legally, not much, but recently a service has launched to help you warn others before they too share your fate. The CI may be charged with a serious drug (or other) criminal offense.
What if a confidential informant doesn't show up to court to testify? Some people have heard of the witness protection program in movies or TV shows. The Coronavirus Snitch Lists were parsed into posts and are also available in PDF and Excel formats. If you are the defendant in a trial where a CI is testifying, you could also benefit from having a defense attorney advise you. Confidential informants are part of the sketchy dark underworld of undercover police and government agencies. The CI may be working several buy busts before the CI's work is finished with the police. Confidential informants aren't the same as anonymous sources or tipsters. The reason for this is the police use the CI to gain probable cause for your arrest. Considering being a CI?
The agent may be calling you at odd hours and making unreasonable requests that put you or your loved ones in danger. The CI knows he/she is working as a snitch, but you do not. This is a common issue people face when working as CI's. Proof that somebody you know told on you. You can be called as a witness to testify on the government's behalf if the person you snitched on requests a jury trial.
The identity of the CI can be necessary to a Defendant's defense in their criminal case. You may not have enough time to talk to a lawyer about what your options are before deciding whether you want to be a government snitch. Do confidential informants have to testify in court? You order drugs from the CI. Many of the names are provided by users like you that sign up for a free membership and fill out a form that lets you name names, upload paperwork, pictures, and tell your story complete with embedded videos and a map to their location.