Hit and run, felony, can i talk to the victim and ask to drop charges?

Question

there was a hit and run, guy was crossing and my friend hit him, hi was drunk and he is a bum, he was hospitalized and had body injuries, someone saw him day after on the streets, he was walking but i guess his arm and leg was damaged (not permanently) so is it ok to talk to victim and cover all expenses, ask him to drop the charges, will my friend stiss have a felony after that? any info is appreciated!

Answer 1

Uh, unless you want to go to jail - I would leave the victim alone. I love how you say he was a bum as if then everyone will go "Oh, OK if it is a bum then he deserved to get hit." Might want to curtail saying that - idiot.

Answer 2

That would be a crime here:

Tampering with a witness/victim.

I would make that offer in court and see what they say.

Answer 3

you would be charged for  several other crimes if you do that.

Answer 4

Victims don't file charges and therefore cannot "drop them."  The District Attorney's Office felt there was evidence a crime had been committed and filed the charges.  You should never talk directly to a victim in a case you're involved with.  In CA, that's a felony that's serious enough to qualify as a "strike" in some instances.

Answer 5

No.  You could be charged with intimidation of a witness.

Answer 6

no, your friend is facing criminal charges for his irresponsible behavior, you need to learn through his mistake. do not choose to face criminal charges for intimidating/tampering with witness,obstructing justice or whatever else you can get charged with.

your friend is not worth your future

Answer 7

Is it okay to run into certain people on the street, but not others?  Is it okay to run into people just because they're drunken bums and you just don't like their social circumstances?  Is it okay to leave the scene of an accident because it's inconvenient?

Also, how do you and your friend know that the guy wasn't permanently injured?  If he's homeless, he probably doesn't have any sort of health insurance and he probably got just the most basic of care in the emergency room.

It's never okay to run into someone, and it's never okay to drive away after a traffic accident.  It's not just a civil matter of paying the guy off at this point -- it's a criminal matter and it stems from your friend's lack of responsibility.

By the way, if you hang around with friends like this, don't be surprised if he finds a way to s***w you over sometime.

Answer 8

A civil case might be dropped. Criminal case will be brought by the district attorney this case won't be dropped.

Answer 9

First, your friend is a piece of trash for hitting someone and leaving them to die on the road. It don't matter if he was a bum or drunk or what.

2nd, you can't talk to him. It's called witness tampering.

Let your friend take his medicine like a man and I hope he gets a hefty sentence for doing something that cowardly and crappy.

Too bad the victim wasn't my son. I would find your friend and settle things myself.

Answer 10

I would NOT do this...here its a felony to attempt to coerce, intimidate or bribe a witness.

You may want to go through the DA's office with a proposal for restitution.

Answer 11

one word intimidation

Answer 12

Because of the seriousness of the charge it would be advisable to have an attorney handle any communication.  Even if the charges are eventually dismissed, the felony arrest would show up on a background check.