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CPS How Long?

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sydhuds

Member since
June 2024

25 posts

Posted Thu October 17, 2024 8:42amReport post

Hi all

I think the next step in 'our' journey is a second interview and then CPS but can someone tell me how long it took for your OH case to get a decision from the CPS please and also what part of the country? I understand asking for what part of the country is private as we all want to stay as anonymous as we can but it would be appreciated

Thank you x

EllBee

Member since
April 2022

148 posts

Posted Thu October 17, 2024 2:31pmReport post

Knock Feb 22, second interview March 24, still know idea if it's been sent to the CPS, or if it has, when it was sent. Have heard nothing since ???? South west

Edited Thu October 17, 2024 2:31pm

Eye of storm

Member since
May 2024

71 posts

Posted Thu October 17, 2024 4:13pmReport post

I've contacted our solicitor this week to ask the same question. Knock Sept 23, 2nd interview Feb 24, we 'think' it went to CPS early Aug 24 ....10 weeks and still waiting for charges. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to any of it. CPS timelines depend on whether they require more evidence to ensure a prosecution, but I'm not sure if the defendant is kept up to date with that or if it's just behind the scenes between CPS and police. I read recently that the CPS are swamped and some defendants waiting 160 days but not sure if that's true. I don't believe anything I read anymore! My thoughts are with you, sending a virtual hug xx

Edited Thu October 17, 2024 4:17pm

Numb and scared

Member since
May 2023

21 posts

Posted Thu October 17, 2024 6:14pmReport post

West Midlands: Knock May 2023, 2nd interview June 2024 and case sent to CPS..... Still waiting. It's agony.

worried mum

Member since
July 2021

16 posts

Posted Thu October 17, 2024 8:53pmReport post

Knock June 2021. Interview Feb 2024. Charges May 2024. Magistrates July 2024 sentencing October 2024 3 years 4 months of hell!! West Midlands

SadAndWorried

Member since
October 2019

155 posts

Posted Fri October 18, 2024 12:15amReport post

Hampshire:

knock October 2019,

Sentencing Feb 2024.

LONGEST years, months, weeks and days of my life.

When it actually went to CPS it took 6 weeks. You can call the officer in charge of your persons case and they will tell you if/when it went.

Lots of love x

sydhuds

Member since
June 2024

25 posts

Posted Fri October 18, 2024 2:33pmReport post

EllBee, Eye of storm, Numb and scared, worried mum, SadAndWorried thank you all for replying x

Eye of storm

Member since
May 2024

71 posts

Posted Fri October 18, 2024 5:41pmReport post

Sydhuds - our solicitor responded today to say on average CPS decisions are taking around 4 months. However if CPS require more evidence this is done behind the scenes and solicitors aren't notified. Pleased the info helps. I know there's not one size that fits all but it's reassuring (and frustrating in equal measure) to know lengthy delays are likely xx

LosingIt

Member since
September 2024

139 posts

Posted Fri October 18, 2024 5:52pmReport post

I was listening to a podcast today that briefly talked about the state of the UK courts. Apparently, there is a backlog of 70000 cases waiting to be tried, that's double what it was in 2019. 33% of these are for sexual offences. So, in addition to the time it takes for investigation/forensics, it looks like waits are just going to get worse and worse.

They did say the the government was thinking of giving magistrates powers to sentence up to 1-year rather than the 6-months they currently can. But I don't know how many will want to handle sexual cases.

Sarah667

Member since
September 2024

13 posts

Posted Sun October 20, 2024 3:14pmReport post

Post deleted by user


Edited Sun October 27, 2024 9:44pm

LittleRobin3

Member since
April 2024

323 posts

Posted Sun October 20, 2024 6:30pmReport post

About 7 months if I remember correctly. X

sydhuds

Member since
June 2024

25 posts

Posted Mon October 21, 2024 3:57pmReport post

LosingIt, Sarah667, LittleRobin3, thank you all for replying x

Also what happens after CPS? I know there are more parts but how long can these take and what exactly are they please? x

SoTired

Member since
March 2021

388 posts

Posted Mon October 21, 2024 8:41pmReport post

We were nearly 2 years. He was only 15 when accessed, 16 when knock and then nearly 18 for trial. Luckily was before he turned 18. Evidence was with the cps for 5 months

Ocean

Member since
September 2023

792 posts

Posted Mon October 21, 2024 8:50pmReport post

My sons case went backwards and forwards between the CPS and police on at least 2 occassions resulting in long delays. The case from start to finish took 22 months.

We are in Hampshire.

Molly dog

Member since
October 2023

56 posts

Posted Mon October 21, 2024 10:02pmReport post

6 weeks for charges after cps in our case

sydhuds

Member since
June 2024

25 posts

Posted Thu October 24, 2024 4:12pmReport post

SoTired, Ocean, Molly dog, thank you all for your replies x

I can't believe the range how long it takes depending on where you are from... 6 weeks or 5 months onwards is insane... bumping this to try to get others to post their times too x

Also can someone tell me the timeframe and what happens after CPS makes a deicison? More waiting? x

sydhuds

Member since
June 2024

25 posts

Posted Mon October 28, 2024 3:02pmReport post

Hi everyone I hope you all had a good weekend x

Bumping the post because of how many new posts have been made since. I would love more people to comment what their time frames was for CPS to make a discision and what happens after that and how long that also takes please. Part of the country is optional because of obvious privacy reasons x

Kitty42

Member since
October 2024

8 posts

Posted Mon October 28, 2024 4:57pmReport post

About six months after being sent to CPS for decision to charge. About 6 weeks until charges given at station then another 6 weeks until plea hearing in magistrates. West Midlands x

sydhuds

Member since
June 2024

25 posts

Posted Thu October 31, 2024 1:50pmReport post

Thank you for the reply Kitty42 I have only just seen it x

I wonder if anyone else can post their timeframes? It seems west midlands has the longest time for CPS? x

LosingIt

Member since
September 2024

139 posts

Posted Thu October 31, 2024 4:05pmReport post

Did any of your solicitors (if you had one pre-charge) correspond with the CPS about the charges? I imagine this could add to the time it takes since solicitors will try to challenge some charges if they can.

rainyday52

Member since
April 2023

461 posts

Posted Thu October 31, 2024 4:58pmReport post

Can't answer the OP sorry as we are still waiting for things to go to the CPS after a Jan '23 arrest.

LosingIt - we have a solicitor who regularly asks police for an update which is always ignored (apart from just before a CP review as of course the police are duty bound to provide updates then, so couldn't ignore the solicitor this time) The solicitor predicted that she would be ignored by the OIC which I find so disrespectful of the police, plus we want to know exactly what stage we are at for our own mental health as it helps that feeling of powerlessness slightly (we are parents of an adult offender).

Our fear is that if the solicitor doesn't know that it's gone to the CPS she won't have the opportunity to challenge any of the charges which she says she would do as part of her instruction - and what our son has paid thousands of pounds for!!!! Of course there may not be any grounds to challenge anything but unless she knows the facts she won't know either way and once it's in the charges it's too late.....so I guess from this the answer is that yes, your solicitor should know that the investigation has proceeded to the CPS stage but after our experience so far I'm not confident that things necessarily proceed in a way that allows that. I do believe that if the police can avoid anything that might weaken their chances of a conviction they will take it but I don't know where they stand legally regarding not informing a solicitor who asks if there has been progress - it's clear they are happy to avoid answering if there is nothing to report, but not how things stand if they do have something.....

Edited Thu October 31, 2024 4:59pm

LosingIt

Member since
September 2024

139 posts

Posted Thu October 31, 2024 5:27pmReport post

That's interesting. Ours has been responsive since we instructed a solicitor but ignored emails from my person until it came through solicitor.

There are guidelines that say they *should* engage in pre-charge disclosure with legal representation, as good practice, but nothing that says they have to.

I think solicitors can communcate directly with CPS once CPS have the file but this only gives you a small-ish window to make your case.

Distressed and pregnant

Member since
November 2020

1043 posts

Posted Thu October 31, 2024 9:22pmReport post

My case is different as my partner was remanded until sentencing. Arrested on a Thursday, charged on the Friday then sentenced 6 months later after spending those 6 months in prison on remand. We are West Midlands and it was a decoy communication offence xxx

sydhuds

Member since
June 2024

25 posts

Posted Fri November 1, 2024 2:31pmReport post

Friday bump to see if anyone else can reply x

Thank you all for replying so far... you have no idea how much this is helping me as strange as that sounds x

EllBee

Member since
April 2022

148 posts

Posted Sat November 2, 2024 5:09amReport post

Sorry you haven't had any response but thought I would comment too to bump it for you!
as I said earlier, we are still waiting. We have no idea if it's been sent to CPS yet and second interview was March! Unbelievable.
I gather from others that once charges come in things happen fairly quickly, usually one month to magistrates and then one month to crown. I gather in some areas magistrates are dealing with some of the cases without them going to crown

Bub84

Member since
January 2024

117 posts

Posted Sat November 2, 2024 9:32amReport post

Knock September 2023

Cps may 2024

Charged July 2024

Magistrates September 2024

Plea hearing at crown October 2024

Trial due August 2026

sydhuds

Member since
June 2024

25 posts

Posted Thu November 7, 2024 3:50pmReport post

Post deleted by user


Edited Mon November 11, 2024 4:03pm

sydhuds

Member since
June 2024

25 posts

Posted Mon November 11, 2024 4:03pmReport post

Hi lovelies x

Another bump. I also asked in another post how long it takes AFTER CPS and that seems to be a standard 1 month for magistrates and 1 more after that for crown court, so just wondering if anyone else can share their time from evidence being sent off to CPS to how long it took for them to make a decision x

sn101010

Member since
January 2024

25 posts

Posted Thu November 14, 2024 3:02pmReport post

OH was just shy of 2 months from CPS to charges

sydhuds

Member since
June 2024

25 posts

Posted Wed November 20, 2024 5:58pmReport post

Hi all this will be the last time I personally bump this x

Anyone else can post their time it took from sent to CPS to them making a decision as well as what part of the country? Or if it's currently at CPS and still not decision has been made? Thank you all x