Generally speaking, there are timelines outlined by law governing when criminal offenses can be charged by the State of Minnesota. Those timelines are called the “statute of limitations” and they start running once the crime itself occurs. Crimes may have no statute of limitations or a statute of limitations of six, five, or three years. See Part 1 of this blog series for more information on crimes without limitations periods.
This blog discusses crimes that have a six-year limitations period under Minnesota law. This means that the crime must be charged within six years of the offense. 1
CRIME | SUMMARY |
Labor Trafficking of Individuals Over 18 | Convictions or complaints for labor trafficking under Minnesota Statute § 609.282 must be found or made and filed in the proper court within six years after the commission of the offense if the alleged victim was over the age of 18 at the time of the offense. |
Medical Assistance Fraud | Under Minnesota Statute § 628.26, the limitations period for medical assistance fraud is six years. It is worth noting that an individual must have the intent to defraud the state agency to be convicted of medical assistance fraud under Minnesota Statute § 609.466. |
Certain Theft Cases | Theft cases involving the use of false representation to commit medical assistance fraud under Minnesota Statute § 609.52 are also subject to a six-year limitations period. This crime requires an individual commit a theft by intentionally deceiving a third person with a false representation known to be false, made with the intent to defraud, and which does defraud that person. |
Certain Bribery Cases | There are two kinds of bribery cases that have a six-year limitations period. The first case is that of an individual bribing a public officer or employee to influence their performance in acting as such an officer or employee. The second case is that of a public officer or employee requesting, receiving, or agreeing to receive such a bribe. Both bribery scenarios are governed by Minnesota Statute § 609.42. |
As with all legal issues, there are many nuances to statute of limitations. If you are charged with a criminal offense or concerned charges may be forthcoming, reach out to one of our attorneys to discuss your options.
1 The limitations period excludes any time the defendant was not an inhabitant of or usually resident within Minnesota; any time the defendant participated under a written agreement in a pre-trial diversion program relating to the offense; and any time during which physical evidence was undergoing DNA analysis, provided there was no purposeful delay caused by law enforcement to gain an unfair advantage.