Unless you are a defense attorney with a court order or a federal agent with a warrant, that list will remain exclusive —exclusively out of your reach.
Under , prosecutors must turn over exculpatory evidence. Under Roviaro v. United States , if an informant is an active participant in the crime (a witness, not just a tipster), the judge can force the state to reveal the CI’s identity. confidential informant list for my city exclusive
In the dark alleys of crime forums, behind the paywalls of True Crime enthusiast boards, and in the whispered conversations of courthouse clerks, one question gets asked more than any other: Where can I find the confidential informant list for my city? Unless you are a defense attorney with a
Possessing a CI list is not a First Amendment trophy. In many jurisdictions, exposing a confidential informant can be prosecuted as (18 U.S.C. § 1510) or Witness Tampering . If the informant is killed, you could face conspiracy to commit murder charges, even if you only "shared a PDF." The Legal Way to See the List (Sort Of) If you are a journalist or a defendant, there is one legitimate door: The civil asset forfeiture audit. United States , if an informant is an
Consider the story of , who in 2018 pieced together informant identities using cross-referenced court filings. He published what he called an "exclusive" list on a Substack. Within 72 hours, one of the names he published was found dead in a motel room. The coroner ruled it a suicide. The local PD suspected the cartel.
The idea is intoxicating. Imagine a document—a spreadsheet, a PDF, a leather-bound ledger—sitting in a police chief’s safe. On it are names, code numbers, and handler badges. The "exclusive" list of who is singing for the sheriff. For defense attorneys, journalists, and the curious public, obtaining that list feels like finding the Holy Grail of local transparency.