statute of limitations

     A statute of limitations defines the term during which a crime can be prosecuted.  A common statute of limitations might be seven years for theft. That means that after seven years, the case is no longer pursued, and cannot be prosecuted. Murder has no statute of limitations--that is why you sometimes read about a murder case being tried after thirty or even forty years. Lesser crimes often do have a limit. Since the limit is written in the law code, it is called the statute of limitations.