Published: Sunday, July 7, 1996
Section: EDITORIAL

PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS GET UNDUE BAD RAP

Herald Staff

A recent Herald article concerned a private Miami investigator who tried to derail a money-laundering case by lying before a grand jury.

Equally disturbing was another article about a private investigator (a former Dade County public defender investigator) who pleaded guilty to illegally wiretapping a top state insurance regulator's home telephone.

The overwhelming majority of Florida's private investigators are law-abiding. They use only lawful means to investigate matters for individuals, law firms, corporations, and insurance companies.

These are regrettable and unfortunate incidents. However, such illegal activity is quite rare. It causes further image problems to the thousands of honest, ethical, and professional members of Florida's private investigative industry.

Brian P. McGuinness

President,

Fla. Assn. of Licensed Investigators

Miami

Reprinted with written permission of The Miami Herald.