Is surveillance legal?

Surveillance is legal in the State of Texas when conducted by a Licensed State of Texas Private Investigator who conducts the surveillance from a position where he has a legal right to be.

How is a surveillance case documented?

The client will receive a detailed report with photographs, along with a video, which is court ready should the case be litigated.

How much does surveillance cost?

Every surveillance case is unique to itself, in which the investigation is tailored to determine answers to the client’s questions. In the Houston area, cost varies from $85 to $120 per hour. The cost is affected by geographic locations, time the surveillance takes place, and the number of Investigators involved.

How long does surveillance last?

Surveillances are tailored to the client’s needs and budget. A cheating spouse, or custody case usually has at least 3 days of surveillance. There is no standard norm, a case can last anywhere from one week to one month.

Are Investigators able to obtain video inside restaurants, bars, gyms, and retail establishments?

Houston Professional Investigators have special equipment which will allow them to obtain covert video at all these locations.

Who will know about the surveillance?

The confidential report is only provided to the client and his attorney if there is an attorney involved.

Do Investigators testify in court?

All of our Surveillance Investigators have court experience in testifying about their surveillance efforts as detailed in their confidential report.

Can I tape record a conversation without my girlfriend or spouse knowing?

The State of Texas only allows a conversation to be tape recorded if one party or more is aware that the conversation is being taped.

Can I place a tracker on my spouse or girlfriend’s car?

There is a State Statute that allows an individual or company to place a tracker on a vehicle for monitoring by a State Licensed Investigator. This can be accomplished if the specifics of the case meet the Statute’s requirements.

PRIVATE EYES OF TEXAS

March of 2017 Edition

A MESSAGE FROM J.J.,

Chief We last mailed out a newsletter in November 2016. I mentioned in the introduction that there was not enough room in the newsletter to detail some of the successes we had for our clients, which I am proudly placing in this newsletter.

After the presidential election there were a number of changes at the Harris County Courthouse and the surrounding counties.

Enclosed in this newsletter is our Harris County & Contiguous Counties court directories for 2017 which have been so popular over the years. If you would like any more directories please don’t hesitate to call the office.

29th Year in Business

January marked the start of our 29th year in business. It’s been quite a ride since our inception. I have enough stories to write a book, but the names will have to be changed to protect the guilty.

We Have The Best Group of Investigators

I can honestly say that I have the very best group of Investigators since our inception, who as a team work on many complex cases. Our team members are Keith Kucifer (27 years DPS), Edna Velez (14 years Customs & ICE), Jose Arreola (7 years University of Houston PD/Harris County)., Cindy Klein (10 years FBI), Paul Wisdom (17 years Dallas PD).

One of our strongest assets is our ability to delegate investigative assignments to different investigators who possess the specific experience levels to handle the assignment. Both Edna and Jose are bilingual. The diversified experience of our staff allows us to work multiple cases at the same time. As is always the case, our team of Investigators leave no stone unturned in order to provide a quality work product for our clients.

Kim Ogg – Newest Harris County District Attorney

It certainly has been a pleasure supporting one of our clients, KIM OGG for District Attorney. Having worked with Kim in the past I know that the District Attorney’s Office is now led by a smart, ethical official who will treat all defendants with fairness.

A Visit To The Huntsville County Courthouse

Last year I was at the Huntsville County Courthouse attending a hearing for one of our death penalty cases being handled by Katherine Scardino and Jimmy Philips.

When I went into the men’s room I noticed the picture (left) taped to a divider between the two urinals.

My immediate thought was, if we don’t know how to spell “spittoon”, is it feasible we know how to say “Not Guilty” ?

Cases Reviewed In This Edition of The Newsletter

The Protecting My Sister Investigation
An attorney from Memphis, TN contacted our office, requesting that we provide surveillance on his sister’s husband in Houston. The attorney went on to say that his sister, who had a severe brain injury, was living at home with her husband. The husband was supposed to provide
The Weedman Murder Investigation
Attorneys Brett Podolsky and Matt Sharp represented a defendant charged with the shooting death of an individual the defendant had been purchasing marijuana from. There were a number of witnesses who observed the shooter enter and exit the apartment, providing descriptions to
The Case of the Snitch Killing
Attorneys Jerald Graber and Bob Loper represented an individual charged with three other individuals with Capital Murder. The victim had given information to the police regarding one of the co-defendants, who went over to the victim’s house and after knocking on the front
Investigation Nets Murder Case Dismissal
Attorney Skip Cornelius represented an individual who was charged with a gang related murder that occurred in the parking lot of a night club. In addition to Skip’s client another individual was also charged. The charges on Skip’s client were the result of one “eye witness
The 100K Cell Phone Embezzlement Investigation
Houston Criminal Defense Attorney Jack B. Carroll represented the former manager of a cell phone company who operated a kiosk at the Willowbrook Mall. During the course of the manager’s tenure, a number of phones were ordered utilizing customer information that were eventually
The Case of the Victimized Criminal
Attorney Douglas Bradley Loper represented a client charged with the aggravated robbery of a dope dealer. The defendant’s aunt requested that Investigators investigate the complainant, a student at Southwest Texas College in San Marcos, in order to establish the fact that he
The Case of the Deadly Homeowner
Attorney Robert Fickman represented a home owner who had been awakened at 3:00 AM in the morning to find a car burglar rummaging through his car, parked in the driveway of his residence. The homeowner became concerned because he knew that a handgun was inside the vehicle. The
A Case of Corporate Burglary: An Inside Job
One of our long time clients who owned an iron and metal fabricating business in Houston, who had utilized our firm to conduct pre-employment background investigations for years, was the victim of a burglary on a Sunday evening at their main office. The thieves were able to
The Grandparents for Child Custody Case
Our firm was hired by a set of grandparents who had raised their daughter’s child from the age of 4 months to 5 years of age. The biological mother was never capable of caring for the child property and had a history of drug and prostitution priors in Houston. Out of the blue,
The Case of the Fly Stewardess
Attorney Lindsey M. Nemanich represented the father of a 3 year old boy who was in a custody battle with his ex-wife, a stewardess. The ex-wife had refused to provide her new address or the location of the daycare the son was attending. Gradoni & Associates Gets Involved
The Butt Naked Wife on Skype Investigation
Attorney Ruth L. Vernier represented a dad who was in the process of divorcing his wife and attempting to get custody of their two children. The pair were still living together when the dad walked in the bedroom finding his wife Skyping naked with a male stranger. Gradoni &
The Protecting My Elderly Father Case
Gradoni & Associates was hired by a Houston business man who had a number of concerns regarding the care for his father, who is in the acute stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Our client’s father had been living with his wife for 30 years and was quite well off financially.