(Mark) Foley Unlikely to Be Prosecuted; Lewd Internet Messages Too Old

Source: ABC News Blotter

Disgraced former Congressman Mark Foley, whose e-mails and instant messages to teenage former congressional pages shocked the country, may avoid criminal prosecution in Florida because of the state's three-year statute of limitations.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement did not start a criminal investigation of Foley until November 2006, making it nearly impossible to prosecute what some officials regarded as the best case, an explicit instant message sent by Foley to a 17-year-old high school student in February 2003, when Foley was in Pensacola, Fla.

"Barring any extraordinary circumstances, it is very unlikely for charges to be filed in a case once the statute of limitations has run its course," said Aya Gruber, a former federal public defender and professor of law at Florida

...

The statute of limitations hasn't been the only hurdle in the Florida investigation. Last month, lawyers for the U.S. House of Representatives denied Florida law enforcement officials access to the former congressman's computers, as previously reported on the Blotter on ABCNews.com. Investigators believe Foley may have used the machines to send illegal sexually explicit message to former congressional pages.

Read more: http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/09/foley-unlikely-.html

How convenient.Repukes always cover for each other.They never have to pay a big price for ANYTHING they do.No wonder there is so much corruption in the GOPervert party. :grr:

legislation extending the statute of limitations so they could prosecute. Repugs have no problem rewriting laws for their own purposes.

If they may have kept crimes from the eyes of the prosecutors which were within the statute of limitations.

Not that we'll ever know for sure now, but it does deserve consideration.

Or did he take the teeth out of them, since he was instrumental in writing them?

You want to prosecute him based on laws that were created after the messages were sent?

He's a senator and a role model for the state, the U.S. and the entire world.

""Barring any extraordinary circumstances, it is very unlikely for charges to be filed in a case once the statute of limitations has run its course," said Aya Gruber, a former federal public defender and professor of law at Florida"

I know of people who can't enter the U.S. due to minor pot charges (a few seeds) from the mid 1970's. Where's the statute of limitations for them?