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Not all drug cases go to trial. In fact, most are settled outside the courtroom through the plea bargaining process. For those cases that make it to the trial stage, however, it is imperative that the evidence be well organized and that the drug investigator, who is essentially the “star witness,” be prepared to give skilled courtroom testimony in the case. The admissibility of evidence in court is the compelling reason for investigators to follow closely the correct procedures in evidence collection. Once investigators are satisfied that the evidence has been collected appropriately, the question of how best to present the evidence to the judge and jurors is addressed. For such a critical task, investigators do not always understand their role in the courtroom. After all, most police officers spend most of their time on the street and not in the

courtroom. In this chapter we will examine several critical aspects of the courtroom process and how this important criminal justice function interacts with the duties of the drug investigator.