CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles Times
Sophia Bollag
In the wake of sexual assault accusations against comedian Bill Cosby, California may soon end the statute of limitations for prosecuting rape and other felony sex crimes.
The state Senate on Tuesday sent the governor a bill to end time limits for prosecuting crimes including rape and child sexual abuse.
Under existing law, such crimes generally must be prosecuted within 10 years unless DNA evidence emerges later. Sex crimes against minors must be prosecuted before the victim’s 40th birthday.
If the governor signs the bill, those crimes could be prosecuted at any time.
SB 813 would not apply retroactively to crimes in which the statute of limitations will have expired by Jan. 1, 2017.
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