Unlicensed Private Eyes A Problem In California

When you hire a private investigator in California, you are supposed to get someone with at least three years of training or a background in law enforcement. But as the I-Team discovered, that is not always what you get.

The state's private investigator trade group is cracking down on unlicensed private eyes using undercover stings. Some use fake names; some even have a criminal past.

In an undercover surveillance video, unlicensed private investigator Adrian Garfias thinks the two women are prospective clients, responding to his Craigslist ad offering private investigation services, but they are actually undercover investigators working for licensed private investigator Chris Butler. And it was all being recorded on video.

"We specialize in undercover stings, so for us to execute an undercover sting on a unlicensed private investigator, that's very easy," Butler said.

Garfias brought his wife and two young boys, a six-year-old and a six-month-old, to the meeting at San Jose's Santana Row and discussed his fee.

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Lunch With A Private Eye

The Balboa Cafe in the Marina is one of those famous lunch places in San Francisco. Gavin Newsom used to own it. At night, it's full of beautiful women and handsome men, part of what Herb Caen used to call the Bermuda Triangle of romance in the city.

There's an older crowd at lunch, important-looking types, serious. Sitting at a table by the window, eating pasta and drinking iced tea, is Jack Immendorf, the dean of San Francisco's private detectives.

There is no bigger cliche than the San Francisco private investigator: gimlet-eyed, sardonic; there have been dozens of them and writers dream up more all the time. In their mind's eye they look like George Clooney or Matt Damon.

But Immendorf looks more like Broderick Crawford, the old actor: a bit jowly, a wisp of a mustache, small eyes, thinning hair. He wears an open-necked shirt and a vest, has a big belt buckle with a golden star on it. He used to be a city commissioner back when Frank Jordan was the mayor.

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How Lawyers Work with Private Eyes

In one of their first phone calls, the lawyer and his private investigator outlined in no uncertain terms one ground rule: Their discussions were to be strictly confidential.

"The conversations are just between you and I," the private eye tells the attorney.

"Right," the attorney says.

"Period," the private eye adds.

In the end, however, their conversations were anything but confidential. That phone call and dozens of other recordings were played in federal court in Los Angeles this month, where the attorney, Terry Christensen, and the private detective, Anthony Pellicano, are on trial for allegedly conspiring to wiretap the former wife of billionaire Kirk Kerkorian.

Because Pellicano was a well-known sleuth-to-the-stars, with clients such as comedian Chris Rock and actor Tom Cruise, his legal troubles have generated interest in Hollywood circles. But his current trial is also being closely followed by Los Angeles' legal community because it thrusts into the limelight a type of relationship the public rarely sees: that of a lawyer and his private investigator.

Davis to Hire Investigator After Grand Jury Report

Davis city leaders have hired an independent investigator to examine the Yolo County Grand Jury's allegations of fire department misconduct.

The grand jury released its report June 30, detailing the investigation prompted by citizen complaints. Primary complaints were that the department has inconsistent promotion practices, a hostile work environment caused by a too-close relationship between fire Chief Rose Conroy and the firefighters' union and misuse of sleeping facilities by drunk off-duty firefighters.