Q: Hello, I'm a fugitive from Florida for a case in Dade County, 1997. Please advise if Justia can help.
A: I suggest contacting an attorney in Dade County to review the facts to see if there may be a Motion to Dismiss for Statute of Limitations. Absent that, there may be a chance that an attorney can negotiate a resolution to the case without a surrender to jail. That is likely to be difficult or sometimes impossible because many prosecutors will not negotiate a case with an outstanding warrant. If a trial is necessary it would be best to posture the case prior to turning yourself in.
A: Because the case is from 1997, not only might the Statute of limitations be a problem, but the discovery, the information the State needs to prosecute you may have been lost. I would contact an attorney in Dade, hire that attorney and have the attorney contact the Assistant State Attorney that would be assigned to your case and have them ask the Assistant State Attorney, if they have the discovery to prosecute.
A: By saying you're a fugitive, it may work against a statute of limitations issue. The real issue may lie in whether the witnesses to this alleged crime are even around...You need to find a competent attorney a.s.a.p.
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