GILBERTSON Investigations Inc. (239) 571-1840
Use of Force
Self-Defense
False Arrest & Search
Criminal-Defense Support
Police Misconduct
Deficient Investigations
Failure to Train & Monell
Agency Training
From the record $640,000 jury verdict, with the jury crediting the expert testimony. Hunter v. City of Federal Way, W.D. Wash.
Retention $9,000 flat fee · discovery review and the written report Full case history Washington casework · The deepest state record Florida practice · Based in Naples For Retaining Counsel The Library · Guides for counsel
The practice Professor Gregory Gilbertson (Ret.) Sheriff Robert Snaza · Independent consultant FBI Special Agent Christopher Holland (Ret.) · Independent consultant Law enforcement expert witness · What the discipline covers
Gilbertson Investigations Inc. · For Retaining Counsel

The engagement, stated plainly.

$42M
Plaintiff settlements & judgmentsSecured by retaining counsel in matters since 2014 · See the case file

Direct line: (239) 571-1840  ·  GregoryGilbertson@proton.me

Attorney and law-firm inquiries only

Everything counsel budgets against, on one page: the retention path, the published fee schedule, and the questions attorneys ask before they send the record.

Request CV & fee schedule Call (239) 571-1840
Initial case retainer $9,000 Non-refundable, flat. Covers discovery review and the written expert report.
Written reportIncluded
Deposition$3,500 flat
Trial & travel$2,400 / day
Full schedule ↓
01Conflicts & scope

A conflict check and a defined scope with retaining counsel before any substantive discussion. If a case presents a conflict, you hear it immediately.

02Retention

The retainer confirmed in writing, with the scope of review set out in the engagement letter before any substantive work begins.

03Record & report

The full documentary and video record on physical media, measured against national standards. Reports require sixty days of notice; counsel approves a bullet-point outline before writing begins.

04Deposition & trial

Depositions by Zoom on the published schedule; trial testimony nationwide, clocked transparently from flight to flight.

The experts

Three experts. Over 110 years.

Professor Gregory Gilbertson (Ret.), FBI Special Agent Christopher Holland (Ret.), and Sheriff Robert Snaza consult with attorneys nationwide regarding police practices and procedures, use of force, false arrest, police misconduct, criminal, and self-defense casework.

The team, in full
Portrait of Professor Gregory Gilbertson (Ret.)CEO & Owner
Professor Gregory Gilbertson (Ret.)Police Practices & Use of Force

Thirty-eight years in four uniforms: street cop, soldier, professor, investigator. More than 220 matters in 42 states and D.C. since 2014, with testimony that has not been excluded at trial in any state or federal court.

Full biography
Portrait of Sheriff Robert R. SnazaConsultant
Sheriff Robert SnazaLaw Enforcement Executive · Policy & Training

More than thirty-five years in public safety: twelve years and three terms as the elected Sheriff of Lewis County, Washington, and six years a commissioner of the state board that sets peace-officer training standards.

Full profile
Portrait of Christopher Holland, FBI Special Agent (Ret.)Consultant
FBI Special Agent Christopher Holland (Ret.)Cold Case & Crime Scene Analysis

Forty years of investigative casework, from patrolman in St. Louis County to the FBI in Chicago, and on to task forces in Afghanistan and Liberia. His work on the Idaho student murders is examined in Broken Plea, the New York Times bestseller by Christopher Whitcomb.

Full profile
From the Bench
U.S. District Court Western District of Washington

Never excluded. Professor Gilbertson’s testimony has not been excluded at trial in any state or federal court.

Ruling on a motion to exclude his testimony in Alvarez v. King County, No. C16-0721RAJ, 2017 WL 3189025 (W.D. Wash. July 27, 2017), Judge Richard A. Jones entered the following opinion.

“Mr. Gilbertson’s qualifications demonstrate extensive experience in policing. His expansive work as a police officer in Georgia, with assignments as a SWAT team officer, juvenile court investigator, school resource officer, stakeout squad officer, senior patrolman, and patrolman; then a career as a tenured college professor and university lecturer teaching criminal justice courses to degree-seeking students at colleges and universities, and as a licensed private investigator conducting felony pretrial investigations for attorneys in Washington State in dozens of criminal cases, makes him unique in the field of police expert witnesses. The Court finds that, based on his experience, Mr. Gilbertson’s testimony can be expected to have a reliable basis in knowledge and experience of police practices.”

The Hon. Richard A. Jones United States District Judge
Published Fees

No surprises at invoice.

The schedule attorneys actually plan against, as published. Figures current as of retention; confirmed in the engagement letter. Every line is explained in police expert witness fees, explained.

Discovery review & written report
$9,000 flat
Non-refundable. Covers discovery review and the written expert report, each expert summarizing their analysis and opinions in writing for the primary author. A bullet-point outline of the report is approved with retaining counsel before writing begins.
Rebuttal report
From $5,000
A focused response to an opposing expert's disclosed opinions, on the same record discipline as a primary report.
Trial & travel
$2,400 / day
Out-of-town trial testimony, billed at $100 per hour for each 24-hour period absent from home. Time begins three hours before the scheduled departure flight and ends three hours after the return flight lands. Estimated fees and expenses are paid seven days before travel, and are refunded in full if the case settles after payment but before departure.
Deposition
$3,500 flat
A flat fee per expert, taken by Zoom or a similar platform, covering preparation and five hours of examination. Examination beyond five hours is billed at $500 per hour in quarter-hour increments. Payment in full is due seven days before the examination; retaining counsel communicates the fee to opposing counsel.
Travel expenses
Pre-paid
Airfare (American Airlines Premium Economy), lodging within walking distance of the courthouse, and ground transportation are pre-paid by retaining counsel. Meals and miscellaneous expenses are $100 per day; driving time is billed at $100 per hour plus the federal mileage rate.
Report timing
60 days
Expert reports require sixty days of advance notice. Reports required in less than sixty days incur a 25% upcharge. Work begins once discovery has been received on physical media.

Gilbertson Investigations accepts engagements in plaintiff and defense matters where counsel expects attorney fees to meet or exceed $250,000.

First Inquiry

What to send, and what to hold back.

Enough to run the conflict check and gauge the fit. No privileged material with a first inquiry; after retention, the full record travels on physical media, a flash drive or external drive by mail or courier, never by email. The long form is set out in what to send with a first inquiry, and the check itself in what happens in a conflict check.

Case type and postureJurisdiction and case numberKey deadlines: disclosure, trialWhat the record holds so farParties, for the conflict check
Start the email Or build the case file →
Required Discovery · After Retention

The discovery file, assembled by counsel.

Work begins when discovery arrives on a computer flash drive or external hard drive; Dropbox and similar online sharing services are not used. Counsel’s staff exclude unnecessary or irrelevant files and include only the relevant record. The assembly itself is walked through in the discovery file counsel assembles:

Autopsy reports & photosForensic evidence documents & reportsPolice & internal affairs investigation reportsIndependent agency investigation reportsOfficer & civilian witness statements & deposition transcriptsRelevant agency policies & proceduresBody-worn, dash & surveillance camera videoInvolved-officer training & disciplinary recordsRelevant state & federal case lawRelevant state & federal jury instructionsCrime scene photosClient/victim criminal historyOther discovery as requested
Counsel FAQ

Asked before the record is sent.

Which side of a case does Gregory work?
Both. Retentions come from plaintiff's counsel in civil rights matters, from the criminal defense bar, and from counsel defending officers in excessive-force and false-arrest cases. The analysis applies the same standards either way, and every engagement begins with a conflict check.
Does he consult for individuals?
No. Gregory is not an attorney and consults for retaining counsel and their staff only. He does not provide legal advice or attorney referrals to individuals.
What does the retention cost?
A non-refundable $9,000 flat fee covers discovery review and the written expert report. A bullet-point outline is approved with retaining counsel before writing begins. Rebuttal reports are billed at a minimum of $5,000. The full schedule, including depositions, trial and travel, is published on this page.
Does he travel for trial?
Yes, nationwide. Out-of-town trial testimony is billed at $2,400 for each 24-hour period absent from home ($100 per hour), beginning three hours before the scheduled departure flight and ending three hours after the return flight lands. Airfare, lodging and ground transportation are pre-paid by retaining counsel; estimated fees and expenses are paid seven days before travel and refunded in full if the case settles before departure.
What do opinions rest on?
The complete record, measured against state and federal statutes, case law, reputable academic research, and national police standards and practices, on the totality of the facts and circumstances. Where scientific, medical, technical or human factors evidence is involved, qualified experts in those disciplines are deferred to, on the record.
How is the case record exchanged?
On physical media. After retention, send the record on a computer flash drive or external hard drive by mail or courier; Dropbox and similar online sharing services are not used. Please do not send privileged material by email, and send nothing privileged with a first inquiry.
How much notice does an expert report require?
Sixty days. Expedited reports required in less than sixty days incur a 25% upcharge, and work begins once the discovery file has been received on physical media.
Are outcomes guaranteed?
No. No guarantee is made regarding the outcome of any civil or criminal case, and retaining counsel is responsible for the admissibility of reports and testimony.
How should counsel vet a police practices expert witness?
Ask for the complete CV and the full case list, not a highlight reel; ask whether testimony has ever been excluded and where it has been admitted; confirm the expert is retained by both plaintiff and defense; and get fees in writing before the record moves. Here that record is published: more than 220 matters across 42 states and D.C., testimony never excluded at trial in any state or federal court, retention by plaintiff’s counsel and the defense alike, and the full fee schedule on this page. The complete table of cases goes to retaining counsel on request.
“Professor Gilbertson has twice served as my expert in search and seizure and false arrest cases. His analysis and opinions are always spot on. Methodical and thorough. His work ethic is extraordinary, and his credentials are unassailable.”
Darryl Parker Attorney at Law · Seattle, WA
“His insights, analysis, reports, and trial testimony are always persuasive. I look forward to working with him again on future cases.”
James Bible Attorney at Law · Seattle, WA
Retain

Open a retention.

Attorney and law-firm inquiries only. Conflicts are checked before anything substantive, and you will hear about a conflict immediately.

Retention inquiry

For counsel ready to scope an engagement and a schedule.

Inquiry sent.

You will hear back directly. If the matter is urgent, call (239) 571-1840.

(239) 571-1840Direct line, Naples, Florida GregoryGilbertson@proton.meDirect email, prefilled for this matter.
Nationwide practiceRetained in 42 states and D.C. · Based in Naples, FL

Conflicts are checked before any substantive discussion. Please do not send privileged material with a first inquiry; after retention the record is exchanged on physical media. Gregory consults for attorneys and their staff only, and does not provide legal advice or attorney referrals to individuals.