criminal investigation
Police case work
A criminal investigation is the process by which law enforcement gathers evidence to determine whether a crime has been committed and to identify those responsible.
Investigators collect physical evidence, interview witnesses, analyze documents, and pursue leads to build a case.
The criminal investigation into the fraud scheme lasted three years.
A criminal investigation may or may not result in charges being filed, depending on the strength of the evidence gathered.
- detectiveProfessional crime investigator
- interrogationFormal, probing examination
- undercover operationsSecret infiltration missions
- body cam footageWearable camera recording
- probable causeLegal threshold for searches
surveillance · person of interest · arrest · Miranda rights · chain of custody · forensic evidence · DNA profiling · homicide · law enforcement · case file · search warrants · subpoenas · indictments · fingerprint analysis · smoking gun · witness interviews · due process · admissible evidence
- crime fictiondetective fiction, murder mystery, detective novels, detective novel, detective
- crime investigationdetective, whodunit, detectives, smoking gun, clue
- policingpatrol, police powers, arrests, police officer, arrest
- forensicsDNA, DNA analysis, fingerprints, forensics, criminalistics
- policeofficer, cop, officers, patrol, cops
- public safetypolice, 911, ambulance, fire department, firefighters
criminal investigationcivil lawsuit
Non-criminal legal proceeding
civil litigation · civil proceedings · civil case · civil action · civil matter
criminal investigationacquittal
Formal clearing of charges
exoneration · vindication · dropped charges · not guilty verdict · conviction