Legal Question in Criminal Law in Colorado

Can this legaly happen to me?

In september of 2000, I was arrested for fraud. I never went to jail, I was only kept at the sub station and reliesed. I was fingerprinted and got a mug shot, and was made to sit in there holding cell for quite some time.

When I was taken out to be talked to I was never told what my charges were going to be; I wasn't given any paperwork, or case number, and I didn't recieve a court date. The only thind the officer was interested in was ''How I could help him, by telling on someone for what they had done.'' After assureing him that I had no other information about anyone comitting crimes he told me I was lying. Of course I didn't want to go to jail so he wrote down a # and I was suposed to call in 1 week to give info. I was reliesed from custody without signing anything or aware of what was to come. My ? is; It has been 4 years now and I have no efidecce of the police trying to contact me for anything. Two days ago my parents were informed by an ''officer'' that I had untill that following tuesday to contact him or I would be issued a warrent. Is it legal for me to be charged 4 years after the fact. With no additionall activity of crime science the inncident?


Asked on 9/12/04, 4:26 am

1 Answer from Attorneys

Deborah Grohs Deborah J. Grohs, P.C.

Re: Can this legaly happen to me?

All crimes short of homicide have a time period in which charges must be brought. If they are not brought forward within that time period, they can never be brought forward. They would be barred by what is called a statute of limitations.

Many times the police put pressure on people to become informants. They threaten people with charges that they know they can not bring.

If the police try to talk with you again, do not talk with them. Tell them you want a lawyer.

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Answered on 9/13/04, 11:28 am


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