这是另外一个律师的网页, 你自己看看, 时效是不是特例,
http://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/criminal-defense-statute-of-limitations.cfm#
Typical Statutes of Limitations
The time limits that statutes of limitations establish vary from one state to another and according to the seriousness of a crime. In general, the more serious a crime, the more time a state has to begin criminal proceedings. By way of example, here are some time limits set forth in the current version of Section 1.06 of the “Model Penal Code,” which are similar to those of many states:
- murder charges: no time limit
- serious felony charges: six years
- misdemeanor charges: two years, and
- petty misdemeanors and infractions: six months.
States cannot retroactively change the rules to allow prosecution of crimes that are already barred by an existing statute of limitations. For example, assume that Will sexually molests a teenager named Joe. Joe doesn’t report what happened for many years. By the time he tells the police about the molestation, the statute of limitations has expired. Although the legislature can enact a new law that would allow the state more time to prosecute offenders, that new law won't apply retroactively to Will's case. (
Stogner v. California, U.S. Sup. Ct. 2003.)
Case Example: Statutes of limitations
Larry breaks into a neighbor’s house and steals an Italian lamp that he has always wanted for his own apartment. The neighbor reports the burglary to the police. However, the police misplace the report and, as a result, don’t begin investigating the crime until many months later. By the time the police arrest Larry and the prosecutor is ready to begin criminal proceedings, the state’s three-year statute of limitations on burglary has expired. As a result, Larry cannot be prosecuted for burglary. If the prosecutor were to begin criminal proceedings, Larry would be entitled to have the case dismissed.