In philly...say neighbors start calling about a potential drug dealer. Then the undercovers watch and do there research. They grab a couple people coming out the house with drugs on em. They will try to trick you into giving info. They tell you they will not lock you up for the night and all that stuff...anything to get you to give info. And if you give them info..even the slightest bit...your name will be in there discovery paperwork. The one arrested does have to go to court to get this paperwork and it takse time. The informant doesn't have to go to court, testify..none of that. The one who is arrested is alowd to get this evidence because I believe the lawyer is entitled to it before they go to trial(not sure tho). But in cases like the mafia...I dont know. I have often heard of people using Confidential informants but I think thats a different type of situation. I believe it all comes out in court with CIs though unless they are still working. I dont know for sure but I do know that if you give any info at all your name will be in the discovery work. My boy had his friends car and his girl in the car. All he did was buy a little pot but the kid had like 100 plants and he didn't know about it. They toldhim they would let him go and his girl and not repo car. Well they didn't repo car and let girl go but he spent night locked up and then found out 2 years later that his name was in someones discovery paperwork for telling the cops that he did buy it inside. He didn't tell him nothing else (he didn't know about plants) he just wanted to get his girl out so said it was his friend gabbing him some. Cops twisted it around and thats that. He was from jersey to so they tried to play him out in Philly but they never told him they could use what he said in court. He thought he was just helpin with the arrest that night and getting his girl out and his boys car. This was a long time ago...he didn't know any better.