If you have been convicted of theft,but you don't appear to serve you sentence, and leave town for 6 years, do you still have to serve the sentence?

Yes, and then some most likely!

If you didn't serve the sentence, then you are a fugitive. I would bet that there is a fugitive warrant out for you for failure to appear.

I should have said maybe, there is of course the chance that you will never get caught so in that case, you may not have to serve the sentence.

I believe that the answer is yes you'll probably have to serve the time, unless you were a minor at the time. If the record is sealed for such a reason you might be fortuneate.

The record would otherwise remain, and additional charges might be added for failure to appear.

If the matter is with a local prosecutor, rather than a state jurisdiction, you might find it easier to have the case closed.

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Originally Posted by ordinarylife

If you have been convicted of theft,but you don't appear to serve you sentence, and leave town for 6 years, do you still have to serve the sentence?

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Statute applies to how long it can take to arrest you (in some cases it's forever), not how long you can held accountable after sentencing so it does not apply to you and, yes, you have to serve the sentence... and possibly more for being a fugitive.

There is no statue of limitation after you are arrested and esp after you are convicted.

In fact there should be a warrant out for your arrest.
You are going to not only have to face your original time, but most likely more because of not appearing.

Just because you don't turn yourself in to serve your time doesn't mean that it will go away magically by itself. No, it won't. The next time you go to the driver's license bureau to renew your driver's license or get stopped by the police your name will be run and they will find you out. I would suggest contacting an attorney and telling them about this situation and see just what kind of arrangements can be done about this. You're going to have to do your time like anyone else as there is no getting around this. I am surprised that you were not taken directly to jail at your sentencing like everyone else is. Did you actually attend your sentencing? Sounds like you didn't attend. Boy, is the judge going to be upset at you.