Legal Question in Criminal Law in Missouri

In the state of Missouri, if a person declines pressing charges at the time of an assault, can they press charges for the same event over a year later?


Asked on 11/11/09, 12:47 am

1 Answer from Attorneys

Anthony Smith LawSmith

If you are talking about a civil suit, then the time to bring the claim does nto expire in a year, and they doucl eait more thatn 12 months to bring a civil suit. If you are asking about a criminal investigation, then the answer depends upon the specific crime alleged. Some crimes that are akin to assualt can brought up to two years or more after the event. However, the victim is no tthe one to decide whether to prosecute a criminal case. If that person waits over ayear to report an assault, the chances that a prosecutor will take the case up would diminish. If it were an adult assaulting a child, then the periiods in which the case can be brought, might be longer and the prosecutor more likely to take up the prosecution.

Good luck

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Answered on 11/18/09, 1:17 pm


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