When it comes to charging an individual with a crime, law enforcement oftentimes have to move forward with charges within a certain amount of time. If law enforcement and prosecutors can’t gather enough evidence to bring charges within a set period of time, they may no longer be able to charge an individual for the crime. However, some crimes do not have a statute of limitations, meaning you can be charged decades after the crime in question was committed.
In today’s blog, we take a closer look at some of the common statutes of limitation for different types of crimes in Minnesota.
Minnesota Statutes Of Limitations
Let’s look at some of the more common types of crimes and see how long law enforcement has to bring charges against an individual based on when the offense was committed.
Murder, Manslaughter, Kidnapping – With these types of crimes, there is no set statute of limitations. In any case that has resulted in the death of another person, the state can bring charges weeks, months, years or decades after the original act. It is becoming more common in today’s age with the help of advanced DNA and forensic technology to link suspects to older cold cases.
Sex Trafficking, Criminal Sexual Conduct and Sexual Extortion – Sex trafficking, sexual extortion and some degrees of criminal sexual conduct do not have a statute of limitations, meaning that as long as enough evidence has come to light, charges can be filed long after the incident in question.
Medical Assistance Fraud, Bribery, Bank Robberies – In general, law enforcement have six years from the act to bring these charges against an individual.
Arson, Theft, Fraud – Many acts that constitute a form of theft or fraud, and cases of arson, will need to be charged within five years, otherwise the statute of limitations will have expired in Minnesota.
Misdemeanors – Most misdemeanors have a three-year shelf life. That means if you defaced a rival high school’s mural or you got in a bar fight way back in the day, you can’t be charged with a crime now that at least three years have passed.
Finally, it’s important to remember that this was just a short and quick look into statutes of limitation in Minnesota, and the specifics of your case will dictate exactly how the prosecution can proceed. Simply put, if you try to stay out of trouble, you shouldn’t have to worry about the statute of limitations expiring before the prosecution brings charges against you.
However, if they’ve already charged you with a crime, you need a lawyer in your corner. For legal assistance or a strong defense to the charges, reach out to Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm today at (952) 224-2277.
