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Jailhouse Informants: A Hidden Risk After Your Arrest

Jailhouse Informants: A Hidden Risk After Your Arrest

Jailhouse Informants: A Hidden Risk After Your Arrest

If you have never heard of jailhouse informants, then you face a hidden risk after a drug or DUI arrest. Unfortunately, secret informants in Oklahoma jails and prisons could hurt your case without you even knowing.

What Is a Jailhouse Informant?

A jailhouse informant is someone in jail or prison who is hoping to get a deal from the district attorney by gathering information from other inmates. Some people refer to the use of jailhouse informants as the “snitch system”. In exchange for their information and possibly their testimony, jailhouse informants may expect to receive (and sometimes do receive):

  • Sentence reduction;
  • Leniency in sentencing;
  • Reduced charges in his or her criminal case;
  • Special privileges in jail or prison;
  • Assistance to his or her family; or
  • Payments of money directly to him or her.

Aren’t These “Snitch” Incentives Illegal?

Yes, there are some legal cases saying that certain snitch tactics are illegal. For example, jailhouse informants cannot use threats of violence to get you to admit a crime. (Beecher v. Alabama, 389 U.S. 35 (1967).)

Will a Jailhouse Informant Make You Lose Your Case?

If you confess that you committed a crime to a jailhouse informant without knowing it, you might have some trouble during your legal case. The prosecutor may try to use informant testimony or information to build the case against you. You should avoid telling other inmates anything about your case if you can help it.

Frequently, use of jailhouse informants by prosecutors across the country has led to wrongful convictions. In addition, law enforcement and prosecutors may fail to disclose information that they learn from informants to defense attorneys. Despite these issues, authorities continue to use informants during criminal cases, and you should be wary of them while incarcerated.

Have you been charged with a DUI in Oklahoma and don’t know where to turn? Seek out the attorney who knows the system. Clint Patterson, Esq., of Patterson Law Firm, a former Tulsa prosecutor now using his trial experience and expert-level knowledge of DUI science to defend drivers, has the experience and the insight to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your case. To schedule a case evaluation, visit Patterson Law Firm online or call Clint’s office at (918) 550-9175.