Stone battery monument with a cannon at Vicksburg National Military Park in Warren County, Mississippi

For Mississippi defense counsel

Criminal Defense Investigations in Mississippi, Built for Circuit, County and Federal Court

Delator Group works for defense attorneys across Mississippi, testing the state's case through independent witness interviews, scene inspection, records work and discovery review. Misdemeanor files start at $750, a single felony at $1,000 and multiple charges at $1,500, with hours and deliverables confirmed in writing before an investigator is assigned.

Working for defense counsel only
From $750, scoped in writing
Reports written for trial use

Request a confidential consultation Call (629) 310-8667

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$750+Misdemeanor defense minimum
$1,000+Single felony defense minimum
$100/hrStandard investigative rate
WrittenScope and price before work starts

Quick answer

What do criminal defense investigations in Mississippi cover?

They cover the fact work defense counsel needs and the state will not do: finding and interviewing witnesses, inspecting and photographing scenes, reviewing discovery for gaps, and checking the background of the state's witnesses. Delator works only at counsel's direction. Pricing starts at $750 for a misdemeanor, and the Mississippi felony defense line starts at $1,000.

01The courts

Where Mississippi Criminal Cases Are Heard

Mississippi divides criminal work among several courts, and the forum shapes the investigation. Under § 99-33-1, justice courts share jurisdiction with circuit court over offenses punishable only by a fine and county jail, and municipal courts hear violations inside city limits. Felonies proceed in circuit court, where a grand jury indictment, motions practice and a jury trial give defense counsel more time and more need for independent fact work. Our misdemeanor defense investigation line is built for the faster courts.

County courts add a layer in the counties that have them. Under § 9-9-21, a county court hears criminal matters a circuit judge assigns to it, so a case can move between benches in Hinds, Harrison, DeSoto or any of the 24 counties with a county court. Appeals go to the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court in the Carroll Gartin Justice Building on High Street in Jackson. Files around the capital are often handled through our Hinds County investigators.

Circuit court districts are being redrawn effective January 2027, with several counties changing districts, so we track each file by county and courthouse rather than by district number. That matters in two-district counties such as Hinds, Harrison and Jones, where the courthouse in Raymond, Biloxi or Ellisville can differ from the one in Jackson, Gulfport or Laurel. Witness travel, scene access and records requests are all planned around the courthouse that will try the case.

Justice and municipal court misdemeanors
County court matters assigned by a circuit judge
Circuit court felonies and jury trials
Federal cases in both districts

02Testing the state's case

Discovery Review and Independent Fact Development

The Mississippi Rules of Criminal Procedure, in effect statewide since 2017, address disclosure and discovery in Rule 17. Discovery tells counsel what the state has; an investigation tells counsel what the state missed. We read reports, statements and evidence logs against each other, build a timeline, and flag the gaps: a witness named in one report but never interviewed, a camera that should have recorded the event, a time that does not fit the distance between two places.

Independent work then fills those gaps. We revisit scenes to photograph sightlines, lighting and distances, canvass for people the officers did not speak with, and request public records the state did not gather. Every step is logged so counsel can decide what to disclose and what to use. Our support for Mississippi defense and trial attorneys explains how work product is handled, and a witness background check often precedes cross-examination.

Records research has a statutory tool. Mississippi's Public Records Act, § 25-61-5, lets any person request public records, with production generally due within seven working days unless the agency explains a delay in writing. Some law enforcement and court records are exempt or require a court order, and we do not seek protected records without the legal process counsel decides to use. Timing matters, so requests go out early in the case.

Black-and-white photo of a building facade, representing courthouse work in criminal defense investigations in Mississippi — Photo: Donald Teel / Unsplash

03Witnesses

Locating and Interviewing Defense Witnesses in Mississippi

Defense witnesses are often the hardest people in a case to find. Some have moved, some have changed phones, and some are avoiding involvement. We start with records work, often a $102 remote search, and move to field locates when needed. Our evasive person locate line handles witnesses who do not want to be found, and the same file covers the eventual interview and any subpoena that follows.

Interviews are planned with counsel. We confirm what topics to cover, whether to take a written statement and whether to record. Under § 41-29-531(e), a person who is a party to a conversation may generally record it, and our investigators state at the outset when an interview is being recorded. We do not misrepresent who we work for, and we do not contact represented parties. The recording law explainer for Mississippi covers the statute in more detail.

When a witness must appear, Delator Field Services can serve a defense subpoena where the court's process allows a private server, with logged attempts and a signed return. Criminal subpoenas issue under the criminal rules and the court's own practice, so we confirm the method with counsel first. Our Mississippi process serving desk coordinates the serve under the same file as the interview.

04Common charges

Charges That Commonly Need Defense Investigation

DUI files often turn on timelines, stops and witness accounts, and our DUI defense investigation work reconstructs the sequence from the first observation to the arrest. Leaving the scene of an injury crash is punishable under § 63-3-401, and when death or serious injury results it is a felony carrying five to twenty years, so vehicle identification and witness sightlines become central. Motor vehicle theft under § 97-17-42 applies to a vehicle of any value, but not to enforcing a security interest, a distinction repossession cases sometimes test.

Fraud and identity charges are records-heavy. Identity theft under § 97-19-85 is a felony with penalties that rise for subsequent offenses, and workers' compensation fraud under § 71-3-69 carries up to three years. Defense investigation in these cases traces documents, accounts and who had access to them. Our stolen car investigation line also serves defendants when the question is who actually had the vehicle and when.

Stalking, cyberstalking and custodial interference charges often grow out of family conflict. Stalking under § 97-3-107 requires a course of conduct, cyberstalking under § 97-45-15 is a felony, and taking a child under 14 out of Mississippi in violation of a custody order is a felony under § 97-3-51. These cases turn on messages, timing and intent, and we preserve electronic evidence carefully. Hit-and-run driver research uses many of the same canvassing methods when identity is disputed.

05Appointed counsel

Supporting Appointed and Public Defense Counsel

Mississippi's Office of State Public Defender runs capital defense, indigent appeals, defender training, and family and youth defense divisions. Its FY2025 report describes a capital division that takes up to ten new trial cases a year, 109 appellate briefs filed in the year, a rural regional public defender pilot funded at $668,000 in its first year, and support for the Hinds County Public Defender Office. Trial-level felony defense is otherwise largely provided by counties, so practices vary.

Appointed counsel usually need a budget a court can approve. We prepare a written scope with estimated hours, travel and the case minimum, so counsel can submit it before work begins, and we invoice by task and date to match. The appointed counsel defense support line explains the format, and the published Mississippi investigation price list shows the figures behind every estimate.

Work stays focused on what the budget allows. When an approved amount will not cover every lead, we rank them with counsel and start with the ones most likely to matter at trial or at sentencing. If more work is warranted, we document why so counsel can ask the court for additional funds. Our role is the same as on a retained case: independent fact work, reported only to defense counsel.

Cars parked near a civic building, the kind of scene a defense investigator photographs — Photo: Michael Hart / Unsplash

06Federal court

Federal Defense Investigation in the Northern and Southern Districts

Federal criminal cases in Mississippi are heard in two districts. The Northern District sits at Aberdeen, Ackerman and Corinth in its Aberdeen Division, at the Federal Building on Jackson Avenue in Oxford, and at Clarksdale, Cleveland and the Federal Building on Washington Avenue in Greenville. Defense work tied to the Oxford courthouse is often handled with our Lafayette County investigators, who also cover DeSoto and Marshall County witnesses.

The Southern District sits at the Thad Cochran U.S. Courthouse in Jackson, the Colmer Federal Building in Hattiesburg, the Dan M. Russell Jr. U.S. Courthouse in Gulfport and the U.S. Courthouse in Natchez. Lauderdale County cases belong to the Northern Division at Jackson. Coast files usually start with Harrison County field work near the Gulfport courthouse, and Pine Belt files with Forrest County work in Hattiesburg.

Federal cases bring longer timelines, larger discovery productions and witnesses spread across several states. We organize discovery by source and date, locate witnesses outside Mississippi when the case requires it, and prepare summaries and exhibits in the format counsel uses for the court. Appeals go to the Fifth Circuit, and our records stay organized so counsel can rely on them long after trial.

07Trial

Jury Research and Trial Preparation for Mississippi Defense Teams

Jury selection is often where local knowledge matters most. Under § 13-5-1, Mississippi jurors generally must be at least 21, able to read and write, and qualified electors or resident freeholders of the county for more than a year. Our jury pool research for Mississippi trials uses public sources only, never contacts a prospective juror, and organizes findings by panel number so counsel can use them during voir dire.

Trial preparation draws the threads together. We prepare timelines, scene diagrams and photographs with distances measured, witness summaries with contact details, and a list of documents ready for subpoena. Investigators who did the field work can testify about what they observed and how they obtained it. The overview of what investigators may lawfully do in Mississippi explains the limits that keep that testimony clean.

Criminal defense investigations in Mississippi are most useful when they start early, before witnesses scatter and scenes change. Defense counsel can call leadership at (629) 310-8667 or send the charge, court and deadline for a written scope. We will say plainly what an investigation can add to the defense and what it will cost, and nothing begins until counsel approves the plan.

Services

Defense Investigation Services in Mississippi

How it works

How a Mississippi Defense Assignment Runs

01
Counsel intake
Defense counsel shares the charge, the court, the discovery received so far and every deadline. Leadership runs a conflict check and confirms the questions the investigation must answer.
02
Written scope
We send a scope with the case minimum, estimated hours, travel and deliverables. Appointed counsel receive it in a form suitable for court approval.
03
Field and records work
Investigators interview witnesses, inspect and photograph scenes, request public records and review discovery, logging each step with date and source and reporting only to defense counsel.
04
Trial-ready file
Counsel receives witness summaries, timelines, measured photographs and exhibits in the court's format, and the investigator who did the work is available to testify about it.

Compare

Matching Mississippi Defense Needs to Investigative Work

Defense need	Investigative work	Pricing basis
Justice court misdemeanor	Witness and scene work	$750 minimum
Single circuit court felony	Full fact development	$1,000 minimum
Multiple counts or enhancements	Expanded investigation	$1,500 minimum
Witness has moved away	Records locate, then field locate	$102, then $100 per hour
Jury selection next month	Public-source jury research	$100 per hour

Statewide coverage

Defense Investigation Across Mississippi's Courthouses

Defense files follow the courthouse. Capital-region cases center on Jackson and Raymond, with Rankin County work around Brandon close by. North Mississippi cases run through Oxford and the Aberdeen Division, often with Lee County field work near Tupelo. River-county cases are handled through Warren County investigators in Vicksburg, and southwest federal matters through Natchez. Every courthouse is reached under the same rates, with travel named in the written scope before work begins, so counsel in Oxford and counsel in Gulfport see the same structure on every estimate.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Who hires a defense investigator in Mississippi?

Usually defense counsel, whether retained or appointed. Working through counsel keeps the investigation under the attorney's direction and helps protect work product. Defendants and families who contact us directly are asked to involve their lawyer first. Our Mississippi attorney services page explains how counsel engages us and how reports are delivered.

How much do criminal defense investigations in Mississippi cost?

Minimums are $750 for a misdemeanor, $1,000 for a single felony and $1,500 for multiple charges or enhanced exposure. Hours beyond the minimum are billed at the standard rate of $100 per hour and itemized by task. Remote records searches cost $102. Every estimate is in writing before work begins.

Can you interview the state's witnesses?

Generally, yes, if they agree to talk. Witnesses are not obliged to speak with either side, and we tell each one who we work for. We do not contact a represented party without counsel's direction, and we do not pressure anyone. If a witness declines, we document that and counsel decides whether a subpoena or a deposition is appropriate.

Do you record witness interviews?

When counsel wants a recording, we tell the witness at the start. Under § 41-29-531(e), a party to a conversation may generally record it, and our investigator is a party to the interview. Some witnesses prefer a written statement instead, and we accommodate that. Counsel decides which format suits the defense.

Do you work federal criminal cases in Mississippi?

Yes, in both districts. The Northern District sits in Aberdeen, Ackerman, Corinth, Oxford, Clarksdale, Cleveland and Greenville, and the Southern District in Jackson, Hattiesburg, Gulfport and Natchez. Federal files often involve larger discovery productions and witnesses in other states, and we organize the work accordingly. Eastern Division matters are often staffed through Pine Belt investigators near the Hattiesburg courthouse.

Can you help appointed counsel get funding approved?

We prepare a written scope with estimated hours, travel and the applicable minimum, in a form counsel can submit to the court. If the approved amount is limited, we rank leads with counsel and document why further work is needed if it is. The appointed counsel support line describes the format.

Can you serve defense subpoenas?

Delator Field Services can serve a defense subpoena where the court's process allows a private server, with logged attempts and a signed return. Criminal subpoenas follow the criminal rules and local practice, so we confirm the method with counsel before accepting the serve. County serve rates appear on the Mississippi serve rate finder.

Is jury research allowed?

Research using public sources is generally permitted, and it never involves contacting a prospective juror. We review public records and openly available information and organize it by panel number. Mississippi's juror qualifications in § 13-5-1 frame what the research looks at. Counsel decides how to use the findings during voir dire.

How early should defense investigation start?

As early as counsel can authorize it. Witnesses move, video systems overwrite footage and scenes change, especially at businesses and roadsides. Early public records requests also matter because agencies have up to seven working days, and sometimes longer with a written explanation, to respond. Starting early usually costs less than reconstructing evidence later.

Does Delator hold a Mississippi investigator license?

Mississippi does not license private investigators at the state level, so there is no state license to hold. Delator Group is a licensed Tennessee private investigation firm and applies that standard here, with written terms, supervision and insurance. The guide to hiring an investigator in Mississippi lists questions counsel should ask any firm.

Every service

Investigations available in Mississippi

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

Core services

Infidelity

Surveillance

Background checks

Privacy

Personal information OSINT wipe

Corporate