I'm writing a novel in which one of the characters, an Italian model, finds that his agent has been embezzling money for years and begins court proceedings, but I can't seem to find anything on the internet pertaining to how long it would take for the first trial to happen. I keep getting directed to sites about AMERICAN law in which people have been arrested for embezzling and haven't been brought to trial for years, but the only thing that I've found pertaining to Italian law is a single case involving a public official. The articles don't mention when he was accused, when they found enough evidence for the arrest, nor how long it took to get him into court, but go into huge detail about the punishment that was handed down for his crime.

Since my character is visiting a friend in America while the agent is investigated and arrested, I just need to know how long he's visiting before he gets called back to Italy for the trial.

Any thoughts on the Italian judicial system and how long it might take from discovery of the deed to the trial stage to begin, especially when it's discovered that the agent has been embezzling from SEVERAL of his models and they all choose to sue, sort of like a class action suit here in the states?

I expect that, in Italy as well as in the US or other places, how long such a case goes to trial will depend upon a large number of factors (how busy the particular court is, how strongly the lawyers push for a quick trial, how complicated it is, etc.). Make it last however long you want it to last.

THe Italian court system is notoriously slow when it comes to lawsuits... taking many years to even come in front of a judge... and can drag on for many many more years.

I've known quite a few people that work in the Italian justice system over the last 2+ decades. Including a now deceased Attourny General. None of them speak English however. And none are local to me right now.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CDoQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Ficfml.files.wordpress.com%2F2012% 2F12%2Fitaly-compulsory-mediation-procedure-italian-constitutional-court-rules-invalid.docx&ei=BlfcU6m_HNHooAS_3oCQBg&usg=AFQjCNGKqzxWcgTOMNPHSpTisM5zOSAA7A&sig2=C6EEW81JyUJE6cx0L6fffw&bvm=bv.72197243,d.cGU

Italian Law and You: Welcome to the Jungle - Best of Sicily Magazine (http://www.bestofsicily.com/mag/art315.htm)

I did a simple search of criminal procedure for Italy law
And court procedure for Italy law

And found 100's of stories and sites.

Thanks all - especially Fr_Chuck for the web sites. My Google attempts just kept bringing me back to the same embezzlement trial for a public official, and it only told how he was being punished, not how long the trial end of things took. Perhaps if enough models from his "stable" came forward all at once, the agent would just plead out and pay the consequences rather than drag this through a several year court battle?

Love you folks! Thanks again for the feedback!