Q: I wanted to know if you could cancel charges already in process, and if the person being charged could charge you back
I also wanted to know how long it takes for charges to go to court
A:
Once charges are filed, only the State's Attorney can drop the charges. The victim has no control over the charges. The victim can tell the State's Attorney he or she wants the charges dropped, but the State does not have to follow the victim's wishes and often does not.
The other party can file charges against the victim at any time.
It is hard to say how long it takes for charges to go to court. It depends on the nature of the case and the court. In general, it will take 2-6 months for the case to go to trial assuming there are no postponements.
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