What does it mean when time is on the people and how long should a case go without an indictment ?

The DA has six months to indict, but that whole time may not be chargeable if your husband's attorney waived time. You will need to check with his attorney to know for sure.

The People have 6 months of "chargeable" time to indict the case and answer ready for trial. "Chargeable time " has many exceptions that are too numerous to post on this response. It is advisable to speak with an experienced criminal defense attorney as to the specifics of your case. As for your second question, there is no requirement for the police to make an arrest sooner in time. Again, there can be many reasons the police took so long, some more reasonable than others.

No way to know why they waited without more information. On a felony they have 5 years before they have to arrest under the statute of limitations (barring certain exceptions). Once charged, the People must be ready within 6 months or the case will be dismissed - there are a lot of circumstances under which time may be excluded however.