Missouri Laws 556.036 – Time limitations
1. A prosecution for murder, rape in the first degree, forcible rape, attempted rape in the first degree, attempted forcible rape, sodomy in the first degree, forcible sodomy, attempted sodomy in the first degree, attempted forcible sodomy, or any class A felony may be commenced at any time.
2. Except as otherwise provided in this section, prosecutions for other offenses must be commenced within the following periods of limitation:
Attorney's Note
Under the Missouri Laws, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class A felony | between 10 years and life | |
| Class B felony | between 5 and 15 years |
Terms Used In Missouri Laws 556.036
- 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.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
- following: when used by way of reference to any section of the statutes, mean the section next preceding or next following that in which the reference is made, unless some other section is expressly designated in the reference. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
- Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- State: when applied to any of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020
(1) For any felony, three years, except as provided in subdivision (4) of this subsection;
(2) For any misdemeanor, one year;
(3) For any infraction, six months;
(4) For any violation of section 569.040, when classified as a class B felony, or any violation of section 569.050 or 569.055, five years.
3. If the period prescribed in subsection 2 of this section has expired, a prosecution may nevertheless be commenced for:
(1) Any offense a material element of which is either fraud or a breach of fiduciary obligation within one year after discovery of the offense by an aggrieved party or by a person who has a legal duty to represent an aggrieved party and who is himself or herself not a party to the offense, but in no case shall this provision extend the period of limitation by more than three years. As used in this subdivision, the term “person who has a legal duty to represent an aggrieved party” shall mean the attorney general or the prosecuting or circuit attorney having jurisdiction pursuant to section 407.553, for purposes of offenses committed pursuant to sections 407.511 to 407.556; and
(2) Any offense based upon misconduct in office by a public officer or employee at any time when the person is in public office or employment or within two years thereafter, but in no case shall this provision extend the period of limitation by more than three years; and
(3) Any offense based upon an intentional and willful fraudulent claim of child support arrearage to a public servant in the performance of his or her duties within one year after discovery of the offense, but in no case shall this provision extend the period of limitation by more than three years.
4. An offense is committed either when every element occurs, or, if a legislative purpose to prohibit a continuing course of conduct plainly appears, at the time when the course of conduct or the person’s complicity therein is terminated. Time starts to run on the day after the offense is committed.
5. A prosecution is commenced for a misdemeanor or infraction when the information is filed and for a felony when the complaint or indictment is filed.
6. The period of limitation does not run:
(1) During any time when the accused is absent from the state, but in no case shall this provision extend the period of limitation otherwise applicable by more than three years;
(2) During any time when the accused is concealing himself or herself from justice either within or without this state;
(3) During any time when a prosecution against the accused for the offense is pending in this state;
(4) During any time when the accused is found to lack mental fitness to proceed pursuant to section 552.020; or
(5) During any period of time after which a DNA profile is developed from evidence collected in relation to the commission of a crime and included in a published laboratory report until the date upon which the accused is identified by name based upon a match between that DNA evidence profile and the known DNA profile of the accused. For purposes of this section, the term “DNA profile” means the collective results of the DNA analysis of an evidence sample.