(a) Notwithstanding Section 801 or any other law, prosecution for a felony offense described in Section 502 shall be commenced within three years after discovery of the commission of the offense, or within three years after the offense could have reasonably been discovered, provided, however, that in any case a complaint shall not be filed more than six years after the commission of the offense.

(b) This section applies to crimes that are committed on or after January 1, 2022, and to crimes for which the statute of limitations that was in effect prior to January 1, 2022, has not elapsed as of January 1, 2022.

Terms Used In California Penal Code 801.7

  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
  • Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.

(Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 206, Sec. 1. (AB 1247) Effective January 1, 2022.)