One Step Ahead Investigations

My name is T. H. and my son was in a situation in which Jon was appointed as his investigator. I'm grateful to have met Jon as he came into our lives at a time when things looked bleak and hopeless and felt as though no one was willing to help us get answers to our questions. He built a relationship with our family and became very close to my  son. Jon encouraged him along the way and let him know that he was not alone in this journey. He provided guidance, support and was very professional.  He was patient and kind and took the time to explain the process thoroughly. Jon was at every court appearance. He gathered information and gave updates along the way. Jon made the process less complicated by being an out of the box thinker and having the willingness to go the extra mile. Anyone that may have a situation that needs someone with his expertise, I would highly recommend Jon as your investigator.  

At one point, I was having trouble obtaining some records from South Florida. I was leaving the Country and these records were imperative. Jon talked to me on the phone literally before I left and reassured me that the records would be taken care of. When I returned, Jon had managed to obtain the releases required, obtained the majority of the records from several different sources, and had the rest en route. I am still not entirely sure how he made it happen so quickly.I never had any concerns about whether something would get done, but I appreciate that I was always aware of the status. Jon was also able to maintain good relationships with the clients with which he worked.

I have had the pleasure of working with Mr. Ruda on several death penalty and juvenile resentencing cases in Duval County. One of Mr. Ruda’s greatest strengths is his ability to build rapport with clients and their families. His contributions were instrumental in obtaining favorable results in several of my cases. He takes initiative and goes the extra mile. He conducts detailed and thorough investigations.

Jon is a highly skilled and incredible criminal defense investigator. Jon is personable, dedicated to his work, and will always help...no matter the situation. He interviews witnesses and writes the most detailed reports of any investigator I have worked with during my legal career. Jon’s reports are so thorough and detailed I am never left at the end of his reports feeling that he missed something or having the need to follow up with him because his reports are so thorough. There was one case where I called Jon as a witness to testify before the Judge in court. Jon’s thorough investigation and testimony was the main reason the Judge granted my motion to declare a witness unavailable and admit the prior trial transcripts in my criminal trial. After the hearing, the Judge applauded Jon for conducting such a thorough and diligent investigation. He believed Jon had exhausted every measure possible to locate this defense witness i.e. went out to multiple addresses, located and spoke with family members, found possible phone numbers, etc. The Judge stated Jon did a fantastic job testifying at the motion hearing and went on to say it was the best investigation he had ever seen while being a Judge.

Mr. Ruda never shied away from any tasks and would always ask, “How else can I help?” This positive attitude was so welcome in a field that is frequently, very bleak. His helpful, positive attitude not only assisted me in the client’s legal representation but also uplifted many client’s spirits even when facing poor legal options. It also helped in securing items I needed from various agencies—like medical and cell phone records. Mr. Ruda is tenacious. He will think of creative ways to complete a task; if he was unable to obtain what I needed the first time, he would think of creative solutions to complete it. His greatest strength was building a solid rapport with our clients and their families which lead to a more open exchange of helpful information in their cases. By building trusting and lasting relationships, Jon would obtain mitigating information from clients and witnesses in interviews and oftentimes, this information would be the foundation for more positive outcomes for our clients.

Jon continuously went above and beyond to fulfill the assignments provided to him while maintaining the utmost integrity and ethics when interacting with clients and potential witnesses. Jon's interviewing skills were exceptional. Jon was always very thorough when interviewing witnesses and he provided detailed notes that I could review after each interview. Given his experience and knowledge in the field, when presented with an assignment Jon needed little to no guidance as he was able to take information provided and run with it producing an exemplary outcome.

Jon Ruda is a person that you can depend on to complete all assignments timely and thoroughly. He works well independently or with a group. He is highly qualified and yet, he still amazes me with the way he manages to often locate witnesses with only the bits of information clients sometimes give. Witnesses trust him and this allows him to obtain more detailed information than any average interviewer. His previous years of experience have not only taught him what types of questions to ask, but how to effectively get the answers that we need from witnesses. I must add that he does this on a regular basis without any prompting. Likewise, his interviewing skills have enabled us to gain in- depth backgrounds with clients early on in high profile felony cases. As an attorney, I appreciate this since it allows me to assess cases quickly to determine which defense strategy to utilize. Jon was extremely instrumental in my most recent life-felony trial. If it were not for his ability to locate witnesses, we would not have been able to have key evidence admitted during trial. Jon also photographed incident scenes and was present during trial to potentially impeach a last-minute State witness.

I really cannot say enough to adequately describe how impressed I am with John and his services on all levels. He is experienced and has a way of comforting you even when things feel crazy and out of control. He is a true professional and handled our situation with the skill and precision of a surgeon. Above all, he was straightforward, honest, and excellent at communicating. Kept me up to date on my case on a very consistent basis. Can’t say enough!

Thank you Jon for all your help.