2006-10-26 06:01:26 · 21 answers · asked by sheila m 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
Yes of course. If it catches up with you.
2006-10-26 06:03:37 · answer #1 · answered by puffy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
England and Wales does not have a Statute of Limitations. If a person is not charged then the vast majority of criminal offences remain open. A charge can be brought many years later and you will hear more more about such cases in the news. Many police forces are now conducting what are known as cold cases reviews. These were unsolved crimes that are 10, 20, 30 or more years old but are now being actively re investigated. One of the mainstays in this procedure is the use of DNA profiling on items of evidential value that were collected at the time and have been stored properly ever since. DNA profiling techniques are now exquisitely sensitive and tiny amounts of material that are 10, 20, 30 ... years old can be used. Couple that with the fact that a person's DNA profile is near unique then you can see why this is such a powerful procedure for use in cold case reviews. One of the best examples in recent years was how the hoax caller in the Yorkshire Ripper case was finally brought to justice.
2006-10-26 20:16:29 · answer #2 · answered by RATTY 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not 100% about this but like so many people will tell you, In order to be Convicted someone must go to trial, to go to trial they must first be arrested.
A person can certainly be arrested for a crime which happened in the past, providing there is reasonable suspicion or proof that that person has committed a crime.
New DNA and Forensic science can throw new light on old cases and lead to them being re-opened.
2006-10-26 06:11:37 · answer #3 · answered by DIGGER 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, you would still be charged if you convicted a crime in the past. I don't think they'll let you get away with it.
2006-10-28 21:16:24 · answer #4 · answered by rauma_raumamary 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes they can, even if it was more than fifty years ago, as long as they have the evidence. The government has now brought out the new double jeopardy rule, that means if you got found not guilty of an offence, and new evidence comes to light, they can try you for the same offence again. The moral is not to do the crime if you are not prepared to do the time.
2006-10-26 06:27:13 · answer #5 · answered by hakuna matata 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it can happen, even if the crime was commited in the pass. Charges can be pressed at any time. So if you are a suspect you can be charge.
2006-10-26 06:09:50 · answer #6 · answered by El Luigy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Suppose you must be able to - with with new DNA techniques lots of crimes are now being solved that would have been impossible 10 or 20 years ago. There have also been convictions.
2006-10-26 06:04:12 · answer #7 · answered by Ally 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, this happens all the time. As long as you had not gone though the courts you could still be charged - this happens all the time. Think about the cases where people who have been abused in childhood finally tell the police about it years later.
2006-10-26 06:06:14 · answer #8 · answered by Outsider 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have to be tried to be convicted.For serious crimes you can be charged regardless of how long ago the crime was committed.That's one of the great things about DNA,people who thought they had got away with it are now trembling in their boots.
2006-10-26 06:21:40 · answer #9 · answered by michael k 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
u might not been officially charged first time round due to lack of evidence maybe some new evidence has come up so yes they can re arrest u n charge u if they believe u had something to do with it, then its a issue of goin to court to defend your case either way good luck!!!
2006-10-29 14:00:21 · answer #10 · answered by it_wasnt_me 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In the UK, no. You need to be charged before you can be tried in a court. However, the reason you weren't charged in the past was because they couldn't find you, and now they have, you can still be arrested and charged and put before the court.
2006-10-27 03:17:59 · answer #11 · answered by ragill_s1849 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋