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Criminal Law/Statue of Limitations

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Expert: - 8/28/2009


Question
My brother was arrested and caught with 13 grams of marijuana on him and a pistol with no bullets. He was open released without bail due to violation to have an attorney and was set to come to a later court date. He never showed. I was wandering if you could give me an estimated guess as to what his statue of limitations would be if he were anywhere in the United States?

Answer
You have the legal term "statute of limitations" confused with something else.  Statute of limitations means that the state has a certain amount of time to solve a crime.  In your brothers case the crime was solved on the day that he was arrested.  It has nothing to do with arrest warrants.  I'd say that your brother is now a fugitive and he could be arrested anywhere at anytime.  Warrants just don't go away.

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Jack Toomey

Expertise

Please do not ask me about potential jail sentences that you, your friends, or family might receive in court. There is no way for me to know that. Only a judge could answer a question like that. I am also NOT a probation officer or parole officer so I cannot answer questions that relate to parole or probation. Also please keep in mind that every state has different laws. If you are planning to ask a question about a specific law or criminal charge that pertains to your state only it could be difficult to answer. I also cannot give you legal advice on what to do or what not to do in court. Retired police officer with 26 years experience. Worked in the patrol division as well as over 14 years in the detective bureau. Investigated a wide range of crime such as murder, rape, robbery, theft, fraud, missing persons, and other very sensitive crimes. I am available to answer your questions about criminal law and especially as it applies to police work. I taught at the police academy for several years and am especially knowledgeable about search and seizure. Any question about criminal law is welcome! Please don't ask me to do your homework or ask me questions that obviously come from your teachers or professors. I also do not do online interviews or surveys. Young people need to gain face to face interviewing skills. Local police officers usually are very agreeable to assist in these assignments.

Experience

I am a retired police officer with 26 years experience. I investigated almost every type of crime including murder, rape, theft, missing persons, fraud, and domestic abuse. I am very knowledgeable about search and seizure and taught at the police academy for several years on a variety of subjects. I can answer questions that a lot of attorneys cannot since they do not have "street experience".

Education/Credentials
Bachelor of Science degree in Criminolgy from the University of Maryland.

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