Criminal statute of limitations should not exist, amirite?

The further from the crime the harder it is to defend yourself and details of the crime can be harder to confirm. That being said not all crimes have a statute of limitations.

by Bailee78 1 week ago

Yada, yada, yada. Maybe you shouldn't commit crimes if you don't want to get charged years later and have a harder time defending yourself.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

That's just assumes everyone whom this happens to is guilty…

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Can you share some examples of what you are thinking of? The serious crimes have longer statute of limitations than 2-4 years.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

They exist to protect defendants and ensure a speedy trial. Basically what you're saying is someone could ticket you for jaywalking 25 years ago. Is that what you want?

by Anonymous 1 week ago

As someone who lives in a country where the statute of limitations doesn't exist, I can categorically say that nobody is getting whacked for jaywalking 25 after the fact. I doubt they'd even get a caution after that amount of time.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

No, but someone could if there were no limitations. It's just an example.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Ultimately, it comes down to the scale of the crime, and you're referencing something that is considered a petty crime. Heinous crimes, such as sex crimes, murder, etc, should be punished regardless of how much time has passed.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Even if there's no longer evidence?

by Anonymous 1 week ago

It's more a matter of being able to actually run a trial. How do you get evidence from what you were doing 15 years ago It doesn't apply if the police issue an arrest warrant,you can't just run away and hope the time runs out. It's more for when you're just living normally, they can't try you for something that happened many years ago

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Yeah, but you can hide the evidence of your bank robbery so that you won't get charged until 15 years later, at which point the statute of limitations will have expired.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Sounds like a problem for them. If you rob a bank and they don't catch you, you win.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Just how many bank robbers have escaped justice due to statute of limitation?

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Statute of limitations, along with pretty much all other "criminals go free" rules, exists in order to prevent government from abusing innocent people or engaging in corruption. For example, without it, government could charge an innocent person based on allegation of a decades-old crime. While person could defend themselves, it would cost time and money. So, government could use charges for made-up decades-old minor crimes to punish opposition supporters or journalists investigating corruption.

by Just-Blueberry-8681 1 week ago

If you can make it past the SOL without reoffending, you have, in effect, reformed

by waltonhuels 1 week ago

I don't trust my country's justice system as it is...and you want me to be OK with giving them more power? Heck, no.

by Anonymous 1 week ago

Well people are addressing what you are saying and you are ignoring it. There is no statute of limitations for certain crimes, like murder obviously, but with lesser crimes you can't press charges because there would be little to no evidence or credible witnesses who could say exactly what happened on some random day 20 years ago. Is there a specific crime you are talking about or are you mad you cant press charges on that kid who threw a ball at you in gym class back in 2014?

by Beiername 1 week ago

Nah some of us just believe in civil rights.

by Anonymous 1 week ago