SECTIONS 799-805 - California Statutes

PENAL CODE

SECTION 799-805

799. Prosecution for an offense punishable by death or by
imprisonment in the state prison for life or for life without the
possibility of parole, or for the embezzlement of public money, may
be commenced at any time.
This section shall apply in any case in which the defendant was a
minor at the time of the commission of the offense and the
prosecuting attorney could have petitioned the court for a fitness
hearing pursuant to Section 707 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

800. Except as provided in Section 799, prosecution for an offense
punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for eight years or
more shall be commenced within six years after commission of the
offense.

801. Except as provided in Sections 799 and 800, prosecution for an
offense punishable by imprisonment in the state prison shall be
commenced within three years after commission of the offense.

801.1. (a) Notwithstanding any other limitation of time described
in this chapter, prosecution for a felony offense described in
Section 261, 286, 288, 288.5, 288a, or 289, or Section 289.5, as
enacted by Chapter 293 of the Statutes of 1991 relating to
penetration by an unknown object, that is alleged to have been
committed when the victim was under the age of 18 years, may be
commenced any time prior to the victim's 28th birthday.
(b) Notwithstanding any other limitation of time described in this
chapter, if subdivision (a) does not apply, prosecution for a felony
offense described in subdivision (c) of Section 290 shall be
commenced within 10 years after commission of the offense.

801.2. Notwithstanding any other limitation of time prescribed in
this chapter, prosecution for a violation of subdivision (b) of
Section 311.4 shall commence within 10 years of the date of
production of the pornographic material.

801.5. Notwithstanding Section 801 or any other provision of law,
prosecution for any offense described in subdivision (c) of Section
803 shall be commenced within four years after discovery of the
commission of the offense, or within four years after the completion
of the offense, whichever is later.

801.6. Notwithstanding any other limitation of time described in
this chapter, prosecution for any offense proscribed by Section 368,
except for a violation of any provision of law proscribing theft or
embezzlement, may be filed at any time within five years from the
date of occurrence of such offense.

802. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), (c), or (d),
prosecution for an offense not punishable by death or imprisonment in
the state prison shall be commenced within one year after commission
of the offense.
(b) Prosecution for a misdemeanor violation of Section 647.6 or
former Section 647a committed with or upon a minor under the age of
14 years shall be commenced within three years after commission of
the offense.
(c) Prosecution of a misdemeanor violation of Section 729 of the
Business and Professions Code shall be commenced within two years
after commission of the offense.
(d) Prosecution of a misdemeanor violation of Chapter 9
(commencing with Section 7000) of Division 3 of the Business and
Professions Code shall be commenced as follows:
(1) With respect to Sections 7028.17, 7068.5, and 7068.7 of the
Business and Professions Code, within one year of the commission of
the offense.
(2) With respect to Sections 7027.1, 7028.1, 7028.15, 7118.4,
7118.5, 7118.6, 7126, 7153, 7156, 7157, 7158, 7159.5 (licensee only),
7159.14 (licensee only), 7161, and 7189 of the Business and
Professions Code, within two years of the commission of the offense.
(3) With respect to Sections 7027.3 and 7028.16 of the Business
and Professions Code, within three years of the commission of the
offense.
(4) With respect to Sections 7028, 7159.5 (nonlicensee only) and
7159.14 (nonlicensee only), of the Business and Professions Code,
within four years of the commission of the offense.
(e) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2005, only if
Senate Bill 30 of the 2003-04 Regular Session is enacted and becomes
effective on or before January 1, 2005.

803. (a) Except as provided in this section, a limitation of time
prescribed in this chapter is not tolled or extended for any reason.
(b) No time during which prosecution of the same person for the
same conduct is pending in a court of this state is a part of a
limitation of time prescribed in this chapter.
(c) A limitation of time prescribed in this chapter does not
commence to run until the discovery of an offense described in this
subdivision. This subdivision applies to an offense punishable by
imprisonment in the state prison, a material element of which is
fraud or breach of a fiduciary obligation, the commission of the
crimes of theft or embezzlement upon an elder or dependent adult, or
the basis of which is misconduct in office by a public officer,
employee, or appointee, including, but not limited to, the following
offenses:
(1) Grand theft of any type, forgery, falsification of public
records, or acceptance of a bribe by a public official or a public
employee.
(2) A violation of Section 72, 118, 118a, 132, 134, or 186.10.
(3) A violation of Section 25540, of any type, or Section 25541 of
the Corporations Code.
(4) A violation of Section 1090 or 27443 of the Government Code.
(5) Felony welfare fraud or Medi-Cal fraud in violation of Section
11483 or 14107 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(6) Felony insurance fraud in violation of Section 548 or 550 of
this code or former Section 1871.1, or Section 1871.4, of the
Insurance Code.
(7) A violation of Section 580, 581, 582, 583, or 584 of the
Business and Professions Code.
(8) A violation of Section 22430 of the Business and Professions
Code.
(9) A violation of Section 10690 of the Health and Safety Code.
(10) A violation of Section 529a.
(11) A violation of subdivision (d) or (e) of Section 368.
(d) If the defendant is out of the state when or after the offense
is committed, the prosecution may be commenced as provided in
Section 804 within the limitations of time prescribed by this
chapter, and no time up to a maximum of three years during which the
defendant is not within the state shall be a part of those
limitations.
(e) A limitation of time prescribed in this chapter does not
commence to run until the offense has been discovered, or could have
reasonably been discovered, with regard to offenses under Division 7
(commencing with Section 13000) of the Water Code, under Chapter 6.5
(commencing with Section 25100) of, Chapter 6.7 (commencing with
Section 25280) of, or Chapter 6.8 (commencing with Section 25300) of,
Division 20 of, or Part 4 (commencing with Section 41500) of
Division 26 of, the Health and Safety Code, or under Section 386, or
offenses under Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000) of Division 2
of, Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 4000) of Division 2 of,
Section 6126 of, Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 7301) of
Division 3 of, or Chapter 19.5 (commencing with Section 22440) of
Division 8 of, the Business and Professions Code.
(f) (1) Notwithstanding any other limitation of time described in
this chapter, a criminal complaint may be filed within one year of
the date of a report to a California law enforcement agency by a
person of any age alleging that he or she, while under the age of 18
years, was the victim of a crime described in Section 261, 286, 288,
288a, 288.5, or 289, or Section 289.5, as enacted by Chapter 293 of
the Statutes of 1991 relating to penetration by an unknown object.
(2) This subdivision applies only if all of the following occur:
(A) The limitation period specified in Section 800, 801, or 801.1,
whichever is later, has expired.
(B) The crime involved substantial sexual conduct, as described in
subdivision (b) of Section 1203.066, excluding masturbation that is
not mutual.
(C) There is independent evidence that corroborates the victim's
allegation. If the victim was 21 years of age or older at the time of
the report, the independent evidence shall clearly and convincingly
corroborate the victim's allegation.
(3) No evidence may be used to corroborate the victim's allegation
that otherwise would be inadmissible during trial. Independent
evidence does not include the opinions of mental health
professionals.
(4) (A) In a criminal investigation involving any of the crimes
listed in paragraph (1) committed against a child, when the
applicable limitations period has not expired, that period shall be
tolled from the time a party initiates litigation challenging a grand
jury subpoena until the end of the litigation, including any
associated writ or appellate proceeding, or until the final
disclosure of evidence to the investigating or prosecuting agency, if
that disclosure is ordered pursuant to the subpoena after the
litigation.
(B) Nothing in this subdivision affects the definition or
applicability of any evidentiary privilege.
(C) This subdivision shall not apply where a court finds that the
grand jury subpoena was issued or caused to be issued in bad faith.
(g) (1) Notwithstanding any other limitation of time described in
this chapter, a criminal complaint may be filed within one year of
the date on which the identity of the suspect is conclusively
established by DNA testing, if both of the following conditions are
met:
(A) The crime is one that is described in subdivision (c) of
Section 290.
(B) The offense was committed prior to January 1, 2001, and
biological evidence collected in connection with the offense is
analyzed for DNA type no later than January 1, 2004, or the offense
was committed on or after January 1, 2001, and biological evidence
collected in connection with the offense is analyzed for DNA type no
later than two years from the date of the offense.
(2) For purposes of this section, "DNA" means deoxyribonucleic
acid.
(h) For any crime, the proof of which depends substantially upon
evidence that was seized under a warrant, but which is unavailable to
the prosecuting authority under the procedures described in People
v. Superior Court (Laff) (2001) 25 Cal.4th 703, People v. Superior
Court (Bauman & Rose) (1995) 37 Cal.App.4th 1757, or subdivision (c)
of Section 1524, relating to claims of evidentiary privilege or
attorney work product, the limitation of time prescribed in this
chapter shall be tolled from the time of the seizure until final
disclosure of the evidence to the prosecuting authority. Nothing in
this section otherwise affects the definition or applicability of any
evidentiary privilege or attorney work product.

803.5. With respect to a violation of Section 115 or 530.5, a
limitation of time prescribed in this chapter does not commence to
run until the discovery of the offense.

803.6. (a) If more than one time period described in this chapter
applies, the time for commencing an action shall be governed by that
period that expires the latest in time.
(b) Any change in the time period for the commencement of
prosecution described in this chapter applies to any crime if
prosecution for the crime was not barred on the effective date of the
change by the statute of limitations in effect immediately prior to
the effective date of the change.
(c) This section is declaratory of existing law.

804. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, for the purpose
of this chapter, prosecution for an offense is commenced when any of
the following occurs:
(a) An indictment or information is filed.
(b) A complaint is filed charging a misdemeanor or infraction.
(c) The defendant is arraigned on a complaint that charges the
defendant with a felony.
(d) An arrest warrant or bench warrant is issued, provided the
warrant names or describes the defendant with the same degree of
particularity required for an indictment, information, or complaint.

805. For the purpose of determining the applicable limitation of
time pursuant to this chapter:
(a) An offense is deemed punishable by the maximum punishment
prescribed by statute for the offense, regardless of the punishment
actually sought or imposed. Any enhancement of punishment prescribed
by statute shall be disregarded in determining the maximum punishment
prescribed by statute for an offense.
(b) The limitation of time applicable to an offense that is
necessarily included within a greater offense is the limitation of
time applicable to the lesser included offense, regardless of the
limitation of time applicable to the greater offense.