Legal Question in Criminal Law in Washington

Re: prosecute a criminal

It can take years. It is hard to estimate. Here is why. First, the prosecutor may not even have the case yet. The officer needs to finish his/her investigation then make his report to the prosecutor's office. This can be totally subjective. It depends how thorough the officer is, how soon he can reach witnesses, and how busy he is with other cases. Then, when he does send the report to the prosecutor's office that office may delay. The prosecutor will not file until the case is ready to go quickly to trial (so that they do not violate the speedy trial rule). So, if they are waiting for fingerprint results or other evidence they will not file. However, there are things that can be done to speed the case along. If time is an issue for you--you are moving away, starting school, having witnesses that may leave--you should hire a lawyer to speed things up. Contact me directly if you'd like further help.

At your service,