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LAFAYETTE – A judge Thursday dismissed charges against the owner of a Scott towing company, ruling that prosecutors had taken too long to bring the man to trial.

Gerald Arceneaux 51, owner of Gerald's Towing and Repair Service, was charged in June 2000 with 12 counts of filing false public records and four counts of theft in connection with allegations involving false records he allegedly filed with the state Office of Motor Vehicles.

All of those charges were dropped by state Judge Herman Clause after a brief hearing Thursday.

Prosecutor Michele Billeaud said the time limit to bring Arceneaux to trial expired more than a year ago, before she was assigned the case after the prosecutor who was handling it left the district attorney's office.

The case had sat dormant for two years until Arceneaux's attorney filed a motion to quash the charges in October 2003.

'From the beginning, Gerald has always maintained this innocence and is looking forward to moving ahead with his business. He appreciates all those in the community who stood by him,' said attorney Clay Burgess, who said he plans to revive a civil lawsuit against State Police over the arrest.

The lawsuit, which claims police had no probable cause to arrest Arceneaux or search his business, was originally filed in 2000. A judge ordered it dismissed pending the outcome of the criminal case.

'They were on a fishing expedition,' Burgess said. 'What the specifics of the charges were, they never really gave.'

Billeaud referred questions about the allegations to the court record, which indicated only the formal charges but offered no explanation.