The Florida Senate

27.255  Investigators; authority to arrest, qualifications, rights, immunities, bond, and oath.--

(1)  Each investigator employed on a full-time basis by a state attorney and each special investigator appointed by the state attorney pursuant to the provisions of s. 27.251 is hereby declared to be a law enforcement officer of the state and a conservator of the peace, under the direction and control of the state attorney who employs him or her, with full powers of arrest, in accordance with the laws of this state. Such investigator may arrest any person for violation of state law or applicable county or city ordinances when such violation occurs within the boundaries of the judicial circuit served by the state attorney employing the investigator, except that arrests may be made out of said judicial circuit when hot pursuit originates within said judicial circuit. Such investigator shall, within the boundaries of the judicial circuit served by such state attorney, have full authority to serve any arrest warrant, search warrant, capias, or court order issued by any court or judge within such judicial circuit in a criminal case, or in connection with a criminal investigation, when the same is directed to him or her. The investigator may serve, anywhere within the state, a witness subpoena issued by any court or judge within the state or issued in connection with a criminal investigation that arises anywhere within the state, provided that prior notice is given to the sheriff in whose county service will be attempted; however, failure to provide this notice to the sheriff does not affect the validity of the service. The investigator may carry weapons on or about his or her person in the same manner as other law enforcement officers.

(2)  All investigators employed by a state attorney or appointed pursuant to the provisions of s. 27.251 shall meet the minimum standards established by the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission of the Department of Law Enforcement for the employment and training of law enforcement officers under chapter 943, except that investigators employed by a state attorney on July 1, 1974, shall not be required to meet such standards.

(3)  In the performance of any of the powers, duties, and functions authorized by law or this section, investigators employed by a state attorney or appointed pursuant to the provisions of s. 27.251 shall have the same rights, protections, and immunities afforded other peace or law enforcement officers.

(4)  Any full-time investigator employed by the state attorney and any special investigator appointed by the state attorney pursuant to the provisions of s. 27.251 shall, before entering into the performance of duties, take and file the oath as prescribed in s. 5, Art. II of the State Constitution. The state attorney may require any full-time investigator employed by the state attorney or any special investigator appointed by the state attorney pursuant to the provisions of s. 27.251 to give a bond conditioned on the faithful performance of the investigator's duties.

History.--s. 1, ch. 70-275; s. 1, ch. 74-260; s. 2, ch. 78-227; s. 5, ch. 79-8; s. 2, ch. 83-167; s. 131, ch. 95-147; s. 2, ch. 96-256; s. 6, ch. 98-34.