A recent OLR Report describes state statutes of limitations.
A statute of limitation is a law that limits the time period within which a state’s attorney can begin a prosecution against someone for committing a crime. In Connecticut, there is no time limit on prosecuting someone for certain serious crimes, such as murder and other class A felonies. For other felonies, prosecutors must begin a prosecution within five years of the date the crime was committed. They must begin a prosecution for a misdemeanor within one year. But the law provides longer periods under certain circumstances, such as when the victim of sexual abuse is a minor or DNA evidence establishes the identity of someone who committed certain sexual assault crimes.
For more information, read the full report.
