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Issue Briefs

Statutes of Limitations for Criminal Offenses (18-18)

Subjects
Courts & Judicial
Crimes, Corrections, & Enforcement
Published
11/07/2018

A statute of limitations is a law that specifies the maximum length of time allowed for a victim or prosecutor to initiate legal proceedings.  Such a statute may apply in either criminal or civil cases. This issue brief provides an overview of criminal statutes of limitations, including exceptions, recent changes to sex crime prosecution time frames, and laws specific to Colorado.