Military Defense Investigation Knowledge Base
Military Defense Investigation Authority Publication
Authority Publication No. DI-086
Concurrent Civilian and Military Investigations: Coordinating Evidence Across Jurisdictions
Independent Military Defense Investigations
Supporting Attorneys, Service Members, and Families
Publication Date: August 30, 2026
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Executive Summary
A single allegation can trigger separate civilian and military investigations, each operating under its own authority, procedures, evidence systems, priorities, and deadlines. The existence of parallel investigations does not mean that either agency possesses the complete record or will preserve and disclose everything held by the other.
Authority Publication DI-086 explains why the defense should build one coordinated evidence map without treating the investigations themselves as interchangeable. The map should identify every involved jurisdiction, agency, custodian, witness, device, record, request, deadline, retention risk, production format, and unresolved follow-up task.
A local police agency may possess surveillance video, dispatch information, civilian witness interviews, physical evidence, or warrant materials. A military investigative organization may possess command records, military interviews, a phone extraction, forensic reports, or a separate investigative chronology. Federal or foreign authorities may hold additional records subject to different procedures. Important evidence can remain undiscovered if the defense requests material from the wrong agency or assumes that one file incorporates another.
The publication provides a practical framework for identifying the factual proposition being tested, mapping sources and custodians, preserving original evidence, documenting collection methods, comparing parallel statements, coordinating timelines, and reporting missing or unavailable material. Every working copy, summary, timeline, and demonstrative should remain traceable to the original source.
The objective is not to collapse multiple jurisdictions into one investigation. It is to give qualified defense counsel a reliable, unified view of what each agency possesses, what has been requested, what has been received, what remains missing, and what may disappear without immediate preservation.
Who Should Read This Publication?
Military Defense Counsel
Military defense counsel should read DI-086 to identify the legal and strategic consequences of parallel civilian, military, federal, state, local, or foreign investigations. The publication helps counsel assess overlapping interviews, statements, searches, subpoenas, discovery obligations, production procedures, deadlines, and the possibility that evidence developed in one forum may affect another.
Defense Investigators
Defense investigators should read this publication to learn how to construct and maintain a cross-jurisdiction evidence map. Investigators should document each agency, custodian, item, date range, retention risk, request method, production status, file version, and next action while preserving the chain from every working copy back to its original source.
Service Members
Service members should read DI-086 to understand that answering questions, consenting to a search, producing a device, or making a statement in one investigation may have consequences in another proceeding. Decisions concerning interviews, consent, disclosure, and communications should be made with qualified defense counsel familiar with every active jurisdiction.
Experts
Experts should read this publication when their analysis may rely on evidence collected by different agencies or produced in different formats. Experts should identify the precise source and version reviewed, document missing foundational material, reconcile inconsistent timestamps or attribution, and avoid assuming that one agency’s extraction, report, or summary represents the complete evidence set.
Families
Families should read DI-086 to understand why the defense may need records from several agencies and why obtaining one investigative file does not necessarily complete the evidence collection process. Families can help preserve records and identify possible custodians, but they should avoid contacting witnesses, agencies, or alleged victims without direction from defense counsel.
Companion Video
This companion video expands on the investigative concepts presented in this Authority Publication through additional explanation, practical examples, and professional investigative insight.
About Michael West
The investigative guidance presented throughout these Authority Publications is based upon decades of professional experience conducting military, federal, criminal, civil, and private investigations. The principles discussed in these publications are drawn from real investigative work involving complex cases, witness development, evidence analysis, and factual case preparation.
Michael West has served as a Special Agent with the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) and the Department of Defense Inspector General, conducted federal background investigations, and spent decades working as a licensed private investigator supporting attorneys, businesses, service members, and private clients. Throughout his career, his work has focused on identifying facts, locating witnesses, analyzing evidence, and strengthening the factual foundation of legal cases through independent investigation.
The Military Defense Investigation Knowledge Base was created to share that investigative experience in a practical, understandable format. Its purpose is to help attorneys, service members, and families better understand the investigative process, ask more informed questions, and recognize opportunities where independent investigation may strengthen the defense.
Important Information
This Authority Publication is provided for educational and informational purposes and is intended to help readers better understand military defense investigations and the investigative process. It is based upon professional investigative experience and is designed to provide practical investigative insight rather than legal advice.
Every military case is unique. The investigative strategies, factual issues, and legal considerations applicable to one case may not apply to another. Readers should consult with a qualified attorney regarding legal rights, legal strategy, and decisions involving their individual circumstances.
Nothing contained in this publication should be interpreted as creating an attorney-client relationship or an investigator-client relationship. References to investigative techniques, procedures, or case examples are provided solely to illustrate investigative principles and should not be considered legal guidance.
Effective military defense is strengthened by informed legal representation supported by thorough factual investigation. The purpose of these Authority Publications is to help readers better understand that investigative process so they can communicate more effectively with qualified legal counsel and make informed decisions throughout the military justice process.