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About Us

PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR

My name is Jon Ruda

And I am a Board Certified Criminal Defense Investigator (CCDI) and a Certified Forensic Interviewer (CFI-FTER). I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in English, with a minor in Communications, and recently earned my Masters in Criminal Justice (MCJ). I moved to Jacksonville in 1996. I enrolled in FCCJ’S newly accredited paralegal program. While enrolled, I was invited to apply for a job at the Public Defender’s Office of the Fourth Judicial Circuit. I began doing client interviews at the
jail, consisting of meeting and speaking with newly appointed clients at the Duval County Jail.
The course of my work included getting personal information about the client, such as social security numbers, family information, military information, mental health history, school information, arrest history, etc. It was essential to get their version of events, possible defense witnesses, info on state witnesses, and anything more that might be helpful to their case and their attorney. Doing this for an entire year, I established a strong rapport with the Duval County Jail personnel that still exists to this day.

I was eventually offered an investigator job. After a few days of shadowing, the Chief Investigator gave me a stack of cases, a map book, and a set of car keys. Though I was not assigned any violent crimes, I worked cases that were non-violent in nature. This is where my idea that all cases, violent or non-violent, should be viewed as if they were the most important. Speaking with clients and witnesses instilled the confidence I needed to get personal with people to get specific information to help with their cases. I strengthened my eye for detail. I became more innovative with how I obtained information. I established trust and rapport with clients and the people of their community.
After almost ten years with the Public Defender’s Office, I opened up my business, One Step Ahead Investigations, from 2010-2016. During these six years, my reputation as a criminal defense investigator began circulating and growing. I was complemented on my thorough, detailed client and witness interviews, began working on death row appellate cases, and soon became a Board Certified Criminal Defense Investigator. More importantly, I developed my philosophy on criminal defense investigations, centering around three concepts, respect, honesty, and communication.
In 2016, I accepted an investigator position with the sister agency of the Public Defender’s Office from 2016-2021. I was the lead investigator on many high-profile homicides where some were resolved solely due to my interactions with the client, and I was promoted to Lead Capital Investigator. I made it a priority in every case I worked to make myself available to clients, their families, and witnesses.

I do my job with pride and intelligence, along with integrity and passion. Communication is key, but so is respecting the legal system and the client. It’s not always about whether a client is innocent or guilty, but what sentence is fair and just.

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