Do confidential informants have rights?

When does the government have the right to keep an informant’s identity secret? Under California evidence law, prosecutors have a privilege to refuse to identify—and to prevent other people from identifying—a person who has furnished information to the government about criminal activity.

What is Rachel’s law?

Rachel’s Law requires the agency to adopt policies and procedures that assign the highest priority in operational decisions and actions to the preservation of the safety of confidential informants, law enforcement personnel, target offenders, and the public.

Who can be a confidential informant?

Confidential Reliable Informant: A person whose reliability and credibility have previously been established. This usually consists of, but is not limited to, validating at least one prior occasion where information from this informant proved to be factual and resulted in a valid arrest, seizure, or conviction.

Can a confidential informant be revealed?

No, the identity of informants are not public record. If CI’s were public record, it would put their lives in danger and the lives of their loved ones. However, the identity of a confidential informant will be revealed to the Defendant if the Defendant goes to trial.

What do cops call their informants?

The term is usually used within the law enforcement world, where they are officially known as confidential human source (CHS), or criminal informants (CI).

Can you sue a confidential informant?

No you cannot sue a criminal informant for providing the police with truthful information.

What are the five types of informants?

Informants. Informants are used often in organized crime cases. There are four types of informant: a member of the public, a victim of a crime, a member of an organized criminal group or police officers themselves.

Can you find out the identity of a confidential informant?

Uncovering the Identity a Confidential Informant The general rule is that the prosecution doesn’t have to disclose the identity of a confidential informant. However, this rule has many exceptions; if a criminal defendant can show the importance of the CI’s identity to the case, it may be possible to find out who’s been talking to the cops.

What happens when you agree to become an informant?

You agree to become an informant in exchange for a favorable resolution in your criminal case. A prosecutor may agree to terms such as: Not seeking an active term of imprisonment. Never assume that all of the charges against you will be dropped because you agree to become a CI.

What is an informant’s privilege?

Both federal and state law enforcement officers use confidential informants. It is often a strategic method of gaining otherwise inaccessible information for a period of time, sometimes years. The CI is protected by confidentiality among law enforcement agents and the courts. This is known as the informer’s privilege—though it is not absolute.

What happens if a police informant has a mental illness?

When a CI has mental disabilities or a drug addiction, they can become even more vulnerable to manipulation by police officers seeking to use their testimony to make an arrest. Even worse, when a CI program is allowed to operate without adequate controls, law enforcement can completely fabricate an informant’s existence.