Aerial winter view of the Hotel Yellowstone in Pocatello, Idaho, a federal court city for criminal defense work

For defense counsel statewide

Criminal Defense Investigations in Idaho, Magistrate Division to Federal Court

Delator Group works for defense counsel on misdemeanor, DUI and felony cases in every Idaho county and in federal court. We find and interview witnesses, document scenes, gather records and test the State's timeline. Misdemeanor work starts at $750 and a single felony at $1,000, and every scope is approved in writing first.

Retained and appointed counsel
Misdemeanors from $750
Written scope before work starts

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$750+Misdemeanor defense minimum
$100/hrStandard investigative rate
WrittenScope and price before work starts
75+Designated investigative specialties

Quick answer

What do criminal defense investigations in Idaho involve?

A defense investigator works for the attorney, not the defendant directly, gathering facts the State may have missed or framed in its favor: witness accounts, scene measurements, video, phone and business records, and background on the State's witnesses. Delator scopes each case with counsel, prices it in writing and reports to the attorney through our Idaho attorney services structure.

01Court structure

How Criminal Cases Move Through Idaho's Courts

Idaho's trial courts are organized into seven judicial districts covering all 44 counties, with a magistrate division inside each district court. Misdemeanors are tried in the magistrate division, and so are the preliminary hearings in felony cases, after which a case with enough evidence moves up to district court for trial. Appeals go to the Idaho Supreme Court, which can assign cases to the four-judge Court of Appeals. That structure means the first real test of the State's felony evidence often comes before a magistrate, sometimes within weeks of arrest.

Federal prosecutions are filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho, whose clerk's offices sit in Boise, Coeur d'Alene and Pocatello. The Coeur d'Alene office keeps Pacific time while Boise and Pocatello keep Mountain time, a small detail that matters when deadlines and interviews are scheduled across divisions. Counties from the Panhandle through the Clearwater country belong to the Northern and Central divisions, and much of eastern Idaho to the Eastern Division. Our Pocatello investigation page covers that southeastern federal and state docket.

Criminal defense investigations in Idaho therefore start with the calendar. We ask counsel which hearing comes next, what the State has produced so far and which facts are contested, then build the scope backward from that date. A Bannock County felony set for a preliminary hearing needs different first steps than a misdemeanor DUI set for a pretrial conference in Ada County, and our Boise defense investigation coverage handles the busiest of those Treasure Valley calendars.

Magistrate division: misdemeanors and preliminary hearings
District court: felony trials
Federal clerk's offices in Boise, Coeur d'Alene and Pocatello
Scope built backward from the next hearing date

02Appointed counsel

Investigation Support Under Idaho's State Public Defender System

Public defense in Idaho changed on October 1, 2024, when the Office of the State Public Defender took over trial-level indigent defense under legislation passed in 2023. In its first year the office reported absorbing 14 county public-defense offices with more than 300 employees and signing more than 150 contract attorneys to cover the remaining 40 counties. Contract attorneys in rural counties often carry heavy caseloads across long distances, and investigation is one of the tasks that can fall behind first.

Our appointed counsel investigation support is designed for those attorneys. We accept a narrow, defined task, such as locating and interviewing two witnesses or photographing a scene, and price it in writing so it can be reviewed through whatever approval process the attorney's office uses. How the State Public Defender approves and pays for outside investigators was not something we could verify publicly, so counsel should confirm the process with the office before we begin.

Reports in early 2026 described planned reductions in training and overflow contracting at the State Public Defender, which may put more pressure on contract counsel. A clear, limited scope is the most useful thing an outside investigator can offer in that environment. When a case needs more than one task, we break it into phases so each can be approved separately. Attorneys in the north can also reach our Moscow investigation page for Latah County and Palouse cases.

03Misdemeanors

Misdemeanor and DUI Defense Investigation in Idaho

Idaho Code § 18-8004 makes it unlawful to drive or be in actual physical control of a vehicle at an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more, at 0.04 or more in a commercial vehicle, or while under the influence of drugs or other intoxicating substances, and the statute states that a prescription is not a defense. Drivers under 21 face a separate 0.02 threshold. Our DUI defense investigations in Idaho look at the stop location, lighting and road conditions, any business or residential video, and the timeline from first contact to testing.

Other common misdemeanors call for different work. A first offense of harassing electronic communication under Idaho Code § 18-6710 is a misdemeanor, but a second is a felony, so the history and authorship of messages matter. Second-degree stalking under § 18-7906 is also a misdemeanor, and its course-of-conduct element invites a close look at dates and context. Our misdemeanor defense investigations start at $750 and are scoped to the elements the State must prove.

Trespass charges under Idaho Code § 18-7008 are a good example of fact-driven defense work. Whether land was fenced, cultivated or properly posted with signs or orange paint, whether the defendant was told to leave, and whether a prior visit falls inside the one-year window can all be checked on the ground and in records. We photograph boundaries, measure distances and locate witnesses who saw the encounter, then hand counsel a report organized around each element.

04Felonies

Felony Defense Work from the Preliminary Hearing to Trial

Felony work begins best before the preliminary hearing, when early witness statements can still be captured and video still exists. Our felony defense investigators in Idaho start at $1,000 for a single charge and $1,500 for multiple charges or enhanced exposure. Typical felony matters include grand theft, which under Idaho Code § 18-2407 includes property over $1,000 and any firearm; leaving the scene of an injury crash under § 18-8007; and first-degree stalking under § 18-7905, which applies when an aggravating factor such as a protective order is present.

Family-related felonies need particular care. Under Idaho Code § 18-4506, taking or withholding a child from a custodian without lawful authority is a felony by default and a misdemeanor only if the child was not taken out of state and was returned unharmed before arrest, so where the child went and when matters enormously. Insurance-fraud charges under § 41-293 turn on what a claimant said and knew. In each, we test the State's timeline against independent records, and our witness background checks prepare counsel for cross-examination.

Felonies charged in Idaho's largest counties often involve body-worn and dash camera footage, digital evidence and multiple law enforcement agencies. We do not analyze devices forensically, but we organize what discovery contains, identify gaps, and find the civilian witnesses and business records that fill them. In North Idaho cases the federal and state systems sometimes overlap, and our Coeur d'Alene defense coverage works with counsel on both tracks.

05Field work

Witnesses, Scenes and Records Across a Large State

Idaho's size shapes defense logistics. A witness to a Lewiston incident may now live in Clarkston, Washington; a Twin Falls witness may have moved to the Treasure Valley; and a Panhandle case may involve people who commute to Spokane. We locate witnesses through records and field confirmation, interview them with counsel's approval, and record statements only with the witness's consent, consistent with Idaho's one-party consent rule. Our Lewiston investigation page handles the Lewis-Clark Valley's two-state witness pool.

Some witnesses are in custody. The Idaho Department of Correction operates a cluster of prisons along South Pleasant Valley Road near Kuna, along with facilities in Orofino, Cottonwood and Pocatello, and it also houses some Idaho inmates in Arizona. Interviews with incarcerated witnesses depend on facility rules and on arrangements counsel makes, and we plan travel accordingly. Southwestern Ada County work near the prison complex runs through our Kuna investigator page.

Public records take planning. Idaho's Public Records Act gives nonresident requesters up to 21 days for an initial answer, extendable to 35, compared with three working days for residents, and Delator requests as a nonresident. We file early, track every request, and tell counsel which records may arrive after a deadline so a subpoena or motion can be considered. Scene work includes photographs, measurements, sightline checks and lighting at the relevant hour, and our Idaho skip tracing team handles witnesses who have left no forwarding address.

Large white civic building with a flag on its roof, representing the public institutions behind a criminal case — Photo: Joshua J. Cotten / Unsplash

06Trial

Jury Research and Trial Preparation in Idaho

Idaho Code § 2-209 limits jury service to adult U.S. citizens who live in the county and can read, speak and understand English, and a felony conviction disqualifies a person unless civil rights have been restored. Within those limits, juries in Ada County and in a small county such as Lemhi or Custer can look very different. Our Idaho jury pool research reviews public records and open sources on a venire for counsel, follows the court's rules, and never involves contact with any prospective juror.

Trial preparation also means knowing the State's witnesses. We research prior statements, convictions that may be admissible, relationships with the parties and public social media, and we check whether a witness's account fits what can be seen from where they say they stood. When a timeline is central, we rebuild it hour by hour from receipts, phone logs counsel obtains, video and travel distances. Our Idaho investigative consulting can help counsel decide which of these tasks is worth the cost.

Mitigation work is part of defense too. For sentencing, we gather employment records, letters, treatment history and family information that counsel may present, and we document a client's circumstances accurately rather than favorably. Every report is written for the attorney, marked as work product at counsel's direction, and reviewed by Delator leadership before delivery. Delivery dates are tied to the court's schedule, not to our convenience, and our civil and criminal litigation support for Idaho attorneys follows the same rule.

Quiet office hallway with dark wood and glass, the setting for trial preparation and defense case review — Photo: Nastuh Abootalebi / Unsplash

07Professional limits

How a Defense Investigator Must Work in Idaho

Idaho does not license private investigators at the state level, so courts and counsel rely on the investigator's own discipline. Some Idaho cities regulate investigators locally, including Chubbuck and Coeur d'Alene, and requirements should be confirmed before field work inside them. Delator Group is a licensed Tennessee private investigation firm and applies Tennessee's licensing standard to its Idaho defense work. It does not claim any Idaho state or city license, and our guide to vetting an Idaho PI explains what to ask any firm.

Defense investigators identify themselves truthfully. We do not pose as police, prosecutors or court staff, we do not pressure witnesses, and we stop an interview when a witness asks. We do not trespass to photograph a scene, and we do not record conversations without a participant's consent. These limits protect the client as much as the witness, because an investigation that breaks the rules can damage the defense it was meant to support. Our explainer on the legal limits of an Idaho PI covers them in more detail.

Criminal defense investigations in Idaho are priced like every other Delator engagement: a case minimum where one applies, $100 per hour for field work above it, and a written scope approved by counsel before anything starts. The minimums are $750 for a misdemeanor, $1,000 for a single felony and $1,500 for multiple charges. Attorneys with cases elsewhere can compare our Wyoming investigations, and anyone ready to begin can contact Delator leadership about a specific case.

Services

Defense Investigation Services in Idaho

How it works

How an Idaho Defense Engagement Works

01
Counsel calls first
We take defense assignments through the attorney of record. Counsel shares the charge, the next hearing date and the key disputed facts, and we discuss what investigation could add.
02
Written scope and price
We send a scope listing each task, the case minimum, estimated hours and delivery dates tied to the court calendar. Work begins only after counsel approves it.
03
Field investigation
An assigned investigator locates and interviews witnesses, documents scenes and requests records, reporting to counsel at agreed intervals and flagging anything urgent at once.
04
Report to counsel
Leadership reviews the findings, and counsel receives a sourced written report, interview summaries and photographs, prepared for use at a hearing or trial.

Compare

Idaho Defense Matters and Their Pricing Basis

Matter	Typical first tasks	Pricing basis
Misdemeanor DUI	Stop location, video canvass, timeline	From $750
Trespass or harassment charge	Boundary photos, message history, witnesses	From $750
Single felony	Witness interviews before preliminary hearing	From $1,000
Multiple felony counts	Phased witness, scene and records work	From $1,500
Sentencing mitigation	Records, letters and background	$100 per hour, scope in writing

Statewide coverage

Defense Investigation Coverage Across Idaho

Most defense files come from the Treasure Valley, the Panhandle and the Pocatello and Idaho Falls area, but rural magistrate courts produce steady work as well. Canyon County cases in Caldwell and Nampa run through our Caldwell investigation page, and eastern Idaho cases through the Idaho Falls defense investigators. Magic Valley matters are handled from Twin Falls and Burley, Wood River Valley cases from Hailey, and attorneys can review every published rate on our Idaho price list for investigations or the broader Idaho investigations overview.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Do you work directly for defendants in Idaho?

We prefer to work through the defendant's attorney, because investigation done at counsel's direction is easier to protect and to use. If someone without a lawyer calls, we will usually suggest they retain counsel first, or the State Public Defender if they qualify, and then have the attorney contact us. That protects the defense far more than an independent investigation would.

How much does a criminal defense investigation cost in Idaho?

The minimums are $750 for a misdemeanor, $1,000 for a single felony and $1,500 for multiple charges or enhanced exposure. Work beyond the minimum is billed at $100 per hour and estimated in the written scope. Counsel approves the scope before any work starts, and phased scopes let appointed counsel approve one step at a time.

Can you help a contract public defender in Idaho?

Yes. We offer narrow, phased tasks with written prices that suit attorneys handling cases through the State Public Defender, which took over trial-level defense in October 2024. Counsel should confirm with the office how outside investigation is approved and paid, because we could not verify that process publicly. Our appointed counsel support line explains how we scope those cases.

When should a defense investigator start on an Idaho felony?

As early as possible, ideally before the preliminary hearing in the magistrate division. Witnesses are easier to find and more willing to talk early, businesses overwrite video, and scenes change. Starting early also gives counsel facts to use when deciding whether to contest probable cause or negotiate. Our felony defense line is built around that early window.

Can you interview witnesses who are in an Idaho prison?

Often, yes, subject to the facility's rules and the arrangements defense counsel makes. The Idaho Department of Correction's facilities include the complex near Kuna, Orofino, Cottonwood and Pocatello, and some inmates are housed in Arizona. We plan travel and timing with counsel once access is confirmed, and the scope reflects the distance involved.

Do you record witness interviews in Idaho?

Only with the witness's knowledge and consent, and only when counsel wants a recording. Idaho is generally a one-party consent state under Idaho Code § 18-6702, but we ask openly rather than rely on that rule, because a witness who later learns of a hidden recording may become hostile. Otherwise we prepare a detailed written summary of the interview. Our Idaho recording law explainer covers the statute in plain terms.

Do you handle federal criminal cases in Idaho?

Yes. We support counsel in Idaho's federal district court at each of its three clerk's office cities, Boise, Coeur d'Alene and Pocatello. Federal cases often involve wider geography and more records, so we scope them in phases. North Idaho federal matters are coordinated with our Post Falls investigation coverage and Coeur d'Alene teams.

Can an investigator help with a DUI where prescription drugs were involved?

Idaho Code § 18-8004 says a prescription is not a defense to driving under the influence of a drug, so the investigation focuses elsewhere: the reason for the stop, driving behavior, observations by civilian witnesses, timing, and any video. We gather facts; whether a medical or toxicology expert is needed is counsel's decision. See our Idaho DUI defense investigation page for the usual first tasks.

Is Delator licensed to do defense investigation in Idaho?

The State of Idaho does not license private investigators. Delator Group is a licensed Tennessee private investigation firm that holds itself to Tennessee's standard in Idaho, and some cities such as Chubbuck and Coeur d'Alene regulate investigators locally, so we confirm those rules before working inside them. You can read about Delator leadership and its backgrounds.

Can you help with a case that involves a tribal court?

We can assist counsel, but jurisdiction in Indian country is complex. Idaho is a partial Public Law 280 state, and whether a state or tribal court has authority depends on the parties, the land and the offense. We confirm the forum with counsel, and with the tribal court where appropriate, before any interviews or field work on reservation land.

Every service

Investigations available in Idaho

Every service below is available in Idaho and across Idaho, run by the same Delator Group leadership that manages our Tennessee casework. Choose a service to read how it works in Idaho.

Core services

Infidelity

Surveillance

Background checks

Privacy

Personal information OSINT wipe

Corporate