- There is a five-year statute of limitations for most crimes committed under the provisions of the UCMJ. The statute of limitations begins to run when the defendant is presented with sworn charges by an officer with court-martial authority over the command.
- Amendments to 10 U.S.C. Section 843 changed the statute of limitations for cases involving child abuse. These amendments allow a defendant to be charged and prosecuted anytime during the life of the child or within a five-year period, whichever is longer.
- The day the offense was committed and the day the defendant is charged are not counted when calculating the statute of limitations. For crimes involving a continuous offense, the crime is considered to have been committed on the last day that act was committed.
previous post
next post