I Was Subpoenaed …… ?
Arraynot found.me and my boyfriend got into a little fight and he broke some of my necklaces and my face was a little swollen. also; i started the fight, i also fought back. my best friend called the cops. i am 15 years old. no adults were home at the time. they charged him w| assault. me & him are back togeth
er now and i don't wanna press charges against him. is there a way to drop the charges, or if not, do i HAVE to go to court? and if so; will he get time ? also ; we are in anne arundel county & the state we're in is maryland, the courthouse is in annapolis [if that means anything] the paper i got [subpoena paper] says the state of maryland vs. (boyfriends name). it doesnt even say my name. me & my bestfriend were subpoenaed. do we have to go? the first one to answer all my questions gets 10 points , thank you so much :]
There’s a lot going on here. Good for you for looking for help!
If you received a subpoena, then yes, you are obligated to go to court on the date it says. In fact, as it may say on the subpoena, you probably can be held in contempt of court (and arrested for not going).
The subpoena probably has a telephone number on it for the prosecutor. Call him and tell him what happened.
But no, you probably cannot drop the charges. Criminal charges were brought by the State of Maryland, and although you are the victim, technically you do not have the right to have the charges dropped. Only the prosecutor can do that; that’s why you need to talk to him.
That’s also why the piece of paper does not have your name on it. It only says, “Maryland v. [boyfriend]” because you are not a party to the case. Only the state and your boyfriend are.
The prosecutor, though, may not drop the charges. If he doesn’t, it may be because he believes — as do I — that you are in an abusive relationship. There is absolutely no excuse for your boyfriend to have hit you or broken your jewelry. He has a serious problem and needs help, more help than you can give him. You deserve to be in a relationship with a boy who does not physically fight with you, does not hit you and does not break your things.
Whether he gets time depends on whether he is convicted, how seriously you were hurt, his prior record, and what the judge decides. That, though, is not your issue. That is 100% up to the prosecutor and judge and you have no say in it.
Good luck to you. Remember: call the prosecutor first thing Monday. He may be able to help you or put you in touch with someone who can.
In many cases the state is the one pressing the charges. So you may have to face the judge. I think that’s the case here since the state of Maryland is named as the plaintiff.
As far as getting jail time, it would depend on whether this is a first offense, and how serious the court feels the attack was.
If you were subpoenaed, then you must appear in court, or risk being held in contempt.
you are a witness,and must appear…you are not married,and cannot refuse to testify against him…the state is prosecuting,you cannot ‘drop the charges”…that being said,call the prosecutor and tell them you will testify to taking an active part in the fight,the may null pros the case…
If you do not appear, the court can issue a warrant for *your* arrest for failure to appear. Just go, be honest, and tell your side of the story.
Also, please don’t stay with someone like him. I don’t understand what you mean by “my face was a little swollen” but I am assuming that he hit you, and that’s horrible. Please be safe.
If you were subpoenaed, yes you have to go. Then tell the judge the truth, you started the fight and no longer wish to press charges.
You should have a contact number on the subpoena. If not, contact the courthouse and tell them you wish to drop the charges.
The state is the complainant, not you, if you have a subpoena you have to go but the state cannot make you testify. Whether you testify or not it sounds as if the court has enough evidence to get a conviction.
If he is 15 also I doubt that he’ll get any time other than maybe juvenile detention for a short time and probation.
You probably need to find another boyfriend, even if a girl hit me first, I never found it necessary to hit one back, I defended myself and then walked away. Unless your bigger and stronger than he is, why did he think he had to hit you.