criminal-law criminal-procedure
What happens if one of the two accused flees the country?
<p>Context: I'm watching a series on Netflix called <strong>Brooklyn Nine-nine</strong>, a comedy series. No spoilers please. I'm fond of law stuff and I don't know much about laws in the US, I live somewhere in Asia, by the way.</p>
<p>I'm in the episode wherein the two good cops are accused of robbing a bank, they were caught red-handed, and the evidences planned against them were just too strong. So one of the two accused cop apparently gave up and is about to flee the country, go to Argentina specifically.</p>
<p>Questions:</p>
<p>What happens if that cop goes to other country? Will they be found guilty automatically? If not, what if the lone cop wins the case? Can the other cop who fled go back to the US?</p>

<p>Conviction for a crime is never automatic, there must be a trial. The remaining accused can be tried and convicted or acquitted based on whatever evidence there is. If you flee the US, you <em>can</em> return (these guys are presumed to be US citizens): you may or may not (probably will) be prosecuted upon your return. Or, the accused could be <a href="https://www.congress.gov/105/cdoc/tdoc18/CDOC-105tdoc18.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">extradited from Argentina</a>. It's not just TV, it's often-surreal comedy.</p>
