An unpleasant truth that criminal suspects discover about Grand Rapids law enforcement is that they can be relentless in their pursuit of their man or woman. That dogged determination is the reason why there are very few successful criminals. Even those who feel as though the passage of time will erode law enforcement’s resolve to close a case are often disappointed to find that their past misdeeds are never truly forgotten.

A Tennessee man is learning this lesson the hard way as he recently discovered that Michigan has no statute of limitations for the crime that he allegedly committed. He stands accused of sexually assaulting a child in Michigan in the early 1990s. Osceola County law enforcement officials recently discovered his current whereabouts in Tennessee and arrested him on multiple counts of criminal sexual conduct.

There was a time when the long arm of the law couldn’t stretch quite long enough to solve such cases. But with the rise of cold case detective units within law enforcement agencies, and technological advances that now allow for more in-depth evidence analysis, many open criminal cases that once may have been considered hopeless are now being revisited.

Yet cases stretching over many years present their own unique challenges on both sides. Memories fade over time, and the integrity of any physical evidence may diminish to the point of leaving room for doubt. If one finds himself or herself accused of sex crimes or any other criminal acts that allegedly occurred several years in the past, he or she may wish to work with a criminal defense attorney to challenge the strength of the case against him or her.

Source: WBIR-TV “TN man arrested in 20 year old sexual assault case in MI” Nov. 26, 2013