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Question: can a cop give out information to people who have nothing to do with the case such as neighbors and if so can they do it before you're proven guilty

Answer:

Generally the answer is yes.

To have a case I am assuming you were arrested for an offense by police. For the police to be involved, something must have brought you to their attention, like a 911 call.  Following the incident, the police officer creates a police report, which is public record. Any person can request a copy of this- it's all public information including your name, address, and what the officer was responding to.  It also includes witnesses' names and addresses, victims' names and addresses, and the basic content of the officer's conversations with each of these people.

Once an officer responds to a 911 call, they are obligated to investigate.  That is because the information they received in a 911 call is not necessarily true, and before the officer arrests anyone they need to make sure there is a basis for an arrest. This means questioning people who may have information regarding the incident involved, such as neighbors or other possible witnesses.

The investigation normally begins before an arrest (again, the officer needs to make sure there is a basis for an arrest at all). Therefore, the investigation & general information obtained & shared with others would occur way before any trial in which you could be found guilty.


Comments
1 thru 1 of 1 comments
On 01/14/08
joshua from AZ said:
could this info make it to commpanies and be used for other porposes
1 thru 1 of 1 comments



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