People are getting away with murder.

Not literally, that we’re aware of, but figuratively.

Stacks of old arrest warrants gather dust in local courthouses while criminals and others accused of crimes go about their lives. Many of them will never be found, and some of those who are discovered will escape punishment because the crimes of which they are accused aren’t serious enough to justify costly extradition from another state.

A review by the Sun Journal, published Aug. 21, found that there are more than 2,100 such warrants in a file cabinet at the Androscoggin County courthouse, with nearly 2,000 more in Franklin and Oxford counties. Unless luck and the stars line up exactly right, no arrests, trials or dismissals are possible.

It’s justice in suspended animation.

Granted, many of the warrants are for individuals sought in relation to relatively minor offenses. Most people would never consider skipping town to avoid a court appearance. They have too much – family, friends, jobs – tying them to the area.

For people without the connection, the courts might as well give them a green light to take their chances.

In an era when a bounced check or a late payment on a credit card can follow a person for years, it’s inconceivable that an arrest warrant with someone’s name on it doesn’t have consequences, but there’s a file cabinet at the courthouse that proves otherwise.