How Long Would It Take for an Arrest to Be Made After a Complaint Has Been Made

[MrBig]

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Connecticut

Okay, this is kind of an odd situation here. A few weeks back (as in, one week it'll have been a month since it happened), I contacted my ex-girlfriend using the GOGII's TextPlus app for iPhone. I had heard from other people that she had been talking on her Tumblr about wanting to be with someone other than her current boyfriend, and when someone went to her boyfriend about this, he confronted her, but she deleted her Tumblr before he could see the posts and denied it. I checked the posts myself upon hearing about them (someone took screencaps) and it seemed legitimate. So I texted her telling him to tell the truth to her boyfriend about it, that he had a right to know about it, and that if she no longer had feelings for the other guy then there was no harm in it.

And of course, the reason for this question is that she immediately after said she was contacting the police to say she was harassed, even inquiring if it was me (as if I'd done it before). There were only 4 minutes in between when she threatened to tell them, and when she said she did. I don't find what I did to be harassment, because the fact is that she cheated on me and left me for another guy who she had been interested in behind my back, and I just didn't want to see her make the same mistake again. I didn't make any threats or anything, and I only contacted her once. I even agreed to leave her alone the minute she got hostile. I only texted her anonymously because I didn't think she'd listen to me, considering after our breakup we got into a bit of a fight about her cheating on me.

It's been weeks, and I've been feeling intensifying anxiety. I'm nervous that the cops are gonna come to get me. I work for the state, and so if I was convicted I could lose my job. Additionally, if a restraining order or anything went into effect, I'd be screwed since we attend the same college. I understand that they would need time to get a cooperating subpoena with GOGII to see the texts, but from what I've researched, they are very quick and cooperative, and so it would take a minimal amount of time. So now I need to know, how long would it take in this case if they were going to arrest me? I want to know when I can start breathing again.

[Dogmatique]

Oh good grief.

Okay, it's not likely that what you did actually crossed the line into breaking the law or constituting an actual threat.

Stupid, immature & childish? Sure. But not likely illegal.

(And please don't try the "I didn't want her to make the same mistake again" thing - that's not why you texted her and you know it. )

[MrBig]

I know it was stupid and immature and childish. I shouldn't have gotten involved. But I'm more so concerned because of the ambiguity of harassment laws, and how she tends to hyperbolize situation, to a point where she might have told police she felt threatened to get them to investigate.

And I don't know what you're implying about why I texted her. I've been with my current girlfriend for six months, and I wouldn't throw her away, especially not for my ex. I'm telling the truth here.

[MrBig]

Can I get a second opinion on this, please?

Or, y'know, a response that answers the title question?

[aaron]

If somebody reports possible criminal conduct to the police, and the police pass the file for a prosecutor to review, the authorization may come back sometime between "right away" and when the statute of limitations runs. Odds are authorization would occur within weeks, but nobody but the prosecutor can say.

[cmre3456]

First, Connecticut does have a law against harassment separate from the law against threatening. I don't see where what you did would rise to the level of interesting a prosecutor. If it did, I don't think you'd be arrested. It's a class C misdemeanor and I think you'd just be served a notice to appear. I don't think it will happen. Prosecutors have enough really serious issues to deal with to regularly get involved in simple "ex lovers' spats." There are no threats and no violence.

If your "harassment" was continuous, then maybe, although the law doesn't require more than one incident as I read it.

She could file for a restraining order but that takes a "pattern" of behavior, not just one occurrence. That is also civil, not criminal. You would need to engage in that pattern and she'd have to prove it. It could be physical abuse (apart from an arrest for a crime) or stalking or threatening. I don't see where she has anything there.

Frankly, I wouldn't have any trouble sleeping nights if I were you.