Q: If someone witnessed her boyfriend beat up his mother & police were to be called but upon arrival the fight was over.
Mother wouldn't admit what happened nor would press charges either because she was afraid or because he was her son & didnt want to get him in trouble but signs were visible of fresh wounds. He has also been on house arrest for several years for drugs but about done with his time. Is there a state law where the state could still press charges due to visible signs of abuse?
A: Whether anyone is charged with a crime in the state of Indiana is within the sole discretion of the County prosecutor and his/her deputies. On your facts, your testimony would be sufficient to charge the offender and probably sufficient to convict him. That said, many prosecutors will refuse to file charges if the victim refuses to testify. It is a matter of resource allocation.
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