Can I still File Charges

[lespowers]

What is the name of your state? Virginia
About a year ago my wife and I were visiting one of my friends at his girlfriends home in an apartment complex. A guy that I had been having problems with called my friends cell phone, and asked where we were. He told him the name of the complex. About 45 minutes later, he called back and said look outside. So my wife, my friend and me walked outside. We walked down to the parking lot were we saw his car. He got out of the car and walked towards me as I was about to ask what he was doing he hit me in the face. We began fighting, while me and him were fighting my friend and another boy also began fighting. My wife saw this entire thing, along with one of my previous friends that arrived with the boys involved. But anyway, in the middle of us fighting a boy came up behind me and hit me on left side of my head with an alum. baseball bat! It made about a 3 inch long gash in my head. After that happened everyone immediately ran and got in the car. I went Inside and my friend called the ambulance. They picked me up, I was rushed to the Wythe co community hospital. My wife was brought to the hospital also by a police officer. I was given 11 staples. We filed a report and said I wanted to press charges, but since we didn't know any of their names but the previous friend and she wasn't involved in the actual act, the officer said he would have to follow up with me after he talked to her and got their names. A few months later an investigator called me and asked me if I could meet with him to answer some questions, he said he would call back with a date and time and Never called back, I've moved since then so I don't know if he has tried since. I was just wondering what I could do about this and I believe I was ignored and forgotten about. I am left with a 3 in scar and a multi-thousand dollar hospital bill. And shortly after this my wife who was my girlfriend at the time tried to get an apartment at the same complex and they said no, because she knew me!!!!!! Is there anything I can do? Is there a statute of limitations on something like that?

[seniorjudge]

Originally Posted by lespowers

What is the name of your state? Virginia
About a year ago my wife and I were visiting one of my friends at his girlfriends home in an apartment complex. A guy that I had been having problems with called my friends cell phone, and asked where we were. He told him the name of the complex. About 45 minutes later, he called back and said look outside. So my wife, my friend and me walked outside. We walked down to the parking lot were we saw his car. He got out of the car and walked towards me as I was about to ask what he was doing he hit me in the face. We began fighting, while me and him were fighting my friend and another boy also began fighting. My wife saw this entire thing, along with one of my previous friends that arrived with the boys involved. But anyway, in the middle of us fighting a boy came up behind me and hit me on left side of my head with an alum. baseball bat! It made about a 3 inch long gash in my head. After that happened everyone immediately ran and got in the car. I went Inside and my friend called the ambulance. They picked me up, I was rushed to the Wythe co community hospital. My wife was brought to the hospital also by a police officer. I was given 11 staples. We filed a report and said I wanted to press charges, but since we didn't know any of their names but the previous friend and she wasn't involved in the actual act, the officer said he would have to follow up with me after he talked to her and got their names. A few months later an investigator called me and asked me if I could meet with him to answer some questions, he said he would call back with a date and time and Never called back, I've moved since then so I don't know if he has tried since. I was just wondering what I could do about this and I believe I was ignored and forgotten about. I am left with a 3 in scar and a multi-thousand dollar hospital bill. And shortly after this my wife who was my girlfriend at the time tried to get an apartment at the same complex and they said no, because she knew me!!!!!! Is there anything I can do? Is there a statute of limitations on something like that?

Talk to the cops and see if you can still file. I am guessing that this was a felony (the bat) so the statute of limitations may be a couple of years.

You have to understand that prosecutors aren't all that fired up about prosecuting cases where the victim waits a year to decide whether to complain.

But, as I said, talk to the cops and see what they say.


(If those rascals have any money, then hire a lawyer and sue them in civil court.)