Paralegal & Investigator Skills Workshop

Analyzing Documents
Pamela Bishop, Paralegal Investigator, Office of the Federal Public Defender, E.D. VA (Richmond)

Melissa Nitpicker Kupferberg MDFL Pamela Minutia Master Bishop EDVA

Mostpeople knowhowto getrecords.

Competency Insanity

Timeline Witnesses& Codefendant s GuiltPhase Sentencing

CommonObjectivesfor DocumentReview
UnderstandInformationContainedin theDocuments OrganizeandCondensethe InformationinaUseableFormat IdentifyPotentialLeads DetermineImpactonGuilt/Mitigation Theories

BecomeaNitPicker
Embrace the minutia Pieces make the whole puzzle Seemingly small/ unimportant details sometimes become crucial

ToolsforDocumentAnalysis Databases
CaseMap Summation Concordance

Spreadsheets Timelines Charts Memos

Database
TrackGovtDiscoveryand DefenseObtained Documents EstablishChronologies KeepTrackofPlayersand Relationships

Spreadsheets

Timelines

Charts

InvestigativeDocuments
DEA6 InvestigativeReport DEA6A Page2+oftheReport DEA7 EvidenceInventory ATF 3120 InvestigativeReport

FBI302 InvestigativeReport

MemorandumofInvestigation

MOI MemorandumofInterview SAR SpecialAgentsReport

SP110 InvestigativeReport

AnatomyofaLEReport

LabReports
Familiarizeyourself withevidencelabeling procedures...
Crimesceneevidence Item# SignificantfromItem# assignednumberatlab Significantitemrendersseveral partsofsameitem more#s

Multiplesubmission VerifyIDnumbers withseizureinventory

CrimeScene#6 LabNumberQ20 Q201,Q202

lostintranslation blacksock forablackglove

Familiareyourselfwiththeevidencelabeling procedure Crimesceneevidence Item# Significantfromthatcollection Q# #12 toLab #Q12 partsof severalstainsonsingleitem

FinancialDocuments

Loaded with useful information

BankRelatedFinancialDocuments
Account information
- Signature cards - Application form - Bank Statements and Offsets

Currency Reporting Documents

- Currency Transaction Reports (CTR) - Form 8300 - Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) - Warning Letters - Account Closure Letters

Withdrawals &Debits

Deposits& Credits

Checks Paid

ThePaperTrailofaFinancialTransaction
BankStatementsandOffsets
DepositTickets Cashin/Cashouttickets Cancelledchecks Wiretransfers Tellertapes WithdrawalTickets CashiersChecks ATMphotos

Teller Number

Bank Branch Date&Time

Money Source

Reasonfor Payment

Besidestheflowof money... Whylookat financialrecords?

LifestyleandPatternsofConduct

BankRecords

WitnessCorroboration
Momsays... No,no,....hedidntdoit,hewaswithme andIcanproveit...

Actualdateofthetransaction

Whatarewe missing?

Transaction Summary

TimelineofEvents...

UsefulWebsites:
OfficeoftheComptrolleroftheCurrency: www.occ.treas.gov/handbook/bsa.pdf FinancialCrimesEnforcementNetwork: www.fincin.gov InternalRevenueService,U.S.Treasury: www.irs.gov IRSFormsandPublications DOJ AssetForfeitureandMoneyLaunderingSection www.usdoj.gov/criminal/afmls DOJ ExecutiveOfficeforUnitedStatesAttorneys www.usdoj.gov/usao/eousa/foia_reading_room Publishes USABulletin

Medical MentalHealthRecords

AnalysisofMedical/Mental HealthRecords
Understandhowtoreadtherecordsand
whattolookfor Developacomprehensivemedical/ psychiatricchronology Identifyotherpotentialrecords/other potentialleads Focusonthelargerpicture

TypesofMedicalRecords
Ambulance Call Sheet Emergency Department Records (ED/ER) Hospital Face Sheets Admission Reports History & Physical Reports Procedure Reports Lab Reports Nursing Flow Sheets Doctors Orders Discharge Summary Outpatient Records

AmbulanceCallSheets
NormallyfoundinERchartdocuments Alwaysprovideschronologyofpriorevents, includingERarrival Usuallyindicateswhetherpoliceassistanceatscene Goodsourceof investigativeleads

The Face Sheet

DontBeIntimidated bythe

TypedReportsCanGuideYou

Principal Procedure Performed Clinical Course

Mentally slow from rat poisoning at child-hood

CommonAbbreviations
+ C CC H/O S/P A/O SOB GSW ETOH AH, VH Positive, plus, present Negative, absent, minus With Chief complaint (most common use) History of Status/post Alert/awake & oriented (x3, x4) Shortness of Breath Gun Shot Wound Alcohol/alcoholic Auditory Hallucinations, Visual Hallucinations

GainanUnderstandingof YourClientsAilments
www.medlineplus.gov: Medical, Psychiatric, Pharmaceutical Information from the National Library of Medicine; www.webmd.com: Medical, Psychiatric, Pharmaceutical information from a variety of sources; www.psych.org: Information from the American Psychiatric Association. www.medilexicon.com (medical & pharmaceutical abbreviations) PsychCentral.com

InherentDifficultiesinERs
LackofPriorRelationship BetweenDoctorand Patient HistoricalInformation LimitedtoPatient SelfReport LanguageandEducational Barriers

1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder 5. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder 8. Mood Disorder, NOS 11. PTSD

2. Major Depressive Disorder 6. Attention Deficit Disorder

3. MDD with Psychotic Features 7. Conduct Disorder

4. Substance Induced Psychotic Disorder with Hallucinations

9. Methamphetamine Induced Mood Disorder 12. Psychotic Disorder NOS

10. Antisocial Personality Disorder 14. Paranoid Schizophrenia

13. Bipolar

15. Psychotic Disorder Due to Severe Head Trauma

SchoolRealities
Generaleducationteachers Educationaljargon TerminologyandRecordsofthetime Significantnumberofkidswithdisabilitiesor mildMRarenotidentified

TypesofSchoolRecords
Transcripts

Healthrecords Anecdotalinformation Psychoeducationalevaluations/IEP Disciplinary/behavioral

SchoolTranscripts
Grades/credits

Testscores Attendance Parentcommunications Indicationsofspecialeducation placement