Why is there a statute of limitations for crimes?

Answer 1

Not all crimes have a statute of Limitations and is usually defined for crimes that create lawsuits involving money and or other losses. This is for several reasons but generally due to the lack of defense after a period of time. People are innocent until proven guilty, However, notice that if you are being sued, you are guilty until you prove yourself innocent. After an elected amount of time it makes it vertually impossible for a person to defend themselves with documentation when certain documents are only required to be kept on file up to a particular amount of time (usually two years). Try defending your innocence when all of the evidence you needed was shredded or destroyed along time ago. Most legal documents are rewuired by law to be kept for this duration and then able to be destroyed. Before statute of limitations, too many innocent people were being sued. It was only until they started targetting lawyers and congressmen when they put the statute in effect for all states and made it a federal issue.

Answer 2

Because a defendant should only be on notice for so long that they may have to defend against a law suit. As for how long, It differs per state and particular crime. They have different time periods. Murder does not have a statute of limitations.

Answer 3

Maybe because people change? Think of, like, in basketball, if in the 4th quarter someone got called for a fowl they commited in the 1st quarter cause the referees watched the video of it. Seems like there's something intuitively wrong there. Then again that may be a bad example, because I think where this law comes in handy is like for all those priests who molest young kids and never get called on it until 30 yrs later. I think they do deserve to pay, and twice over at that. So, I think it really depends on the crime...

Answer 4

1.Fairness
*Memories Fade over time
*Evidence is Lost or Never Found
*People get on with there lives without intrusions of the past

2.They Vary from country to country, state to state etc.

3.Murder or War Crimes have no Limiations

4.Mainly a lost in interest in the case by the police. Attention needed on other cases.

Answer 5

For one, after something has gone so long, what's the point? That only invites jealous ex wives to turn their ex's in, etc. for crap that happened 30 years ago. Also, it relieves some of the pressure of the courts, freeing the courts up to deal with PRESENT problems. It also keeps people from being wasteful! You snooze, you loose. It encourages justice to be brought swiftly.

Answer 6

For example - shoplifting. If the shop keeper waits 15 years don't ya think that is a little too long ago to gather evidence and find witnesses and memories will be a little faded too?

Answer 7

it is done b/c the evidence is considered unreliable after a point. the defendant would have too hard a time mounting a defense.

the various grades of crimes have different sol. none for murder.

Answer 8

Rather than bore you with what I think you're asking, take a glance @ this page from wikipedia;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statute_of_limitations

Answer 9

There isn't one for all crimes, such as murder.

Answer 10

so the courts don't get jammed up