Legal Question in Criminal Law in Maryland
in 1997 i got an assault charge and they gave me probation. now a detective is looking for me about this charge. i was only 14 when this happened. can he come back and charge me again 14 years later? could he have a warrant?
3 Answers from Attorneys
Double jeopardy would protect you from being convicted a second time. However, there could be a warrant for violating probation. You can check for it on Maryland CaseSearch. Of course, it could also have been issued in error or something else entirely.
You can't find juvenile cases on Case Search, but check at the juvenile clerk's office in the county you went to Court in.
From the way I am reading your question, you were charged and received a sentence when you were 14. Assuming this is true, that case has been dealt with and you cannot be charged again for the same crime. Without more information, I can't tell (and you probably don't know) why this Detective is looking for you, but it cannot be to charge you again.
My best guess is that he is looking for some information in connection with that incident. You are not obligated to provide any information, especially if it could incriminate (get you in trouble) in the process.
Your best bet is to call a qualified criminal defense attorney who can call the appropriate law enforcement agency and find out, for sure, what is going on. A lawyer can find out what the Detective is looking for and why your involvement is requested/needed. At the very least, this should give you some peace of mind.
If you like, I will be happy to help you with this. I can be reached at (410) 653-0065. You can visit my website any time at www.marcsnyderlaw.com.
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