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Session Laws

1996

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CHAPTER 26 AN ACT RELATIVE TO THE PROSECUTION OF THE CRIME OF RAPE.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

Section 63 of chapter 277 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 1994 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the first paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-

An indictment for murder may be found at any time after the death of the person alleged to have been murdered. An indictment for an offense set forth in sections twenty-two, twenty-two A, twenty-three, twenty-four, and twenty-four B of chapter two hundred and sixty-five, or for conspiracy to commit any of said offenses or as an accessory thereto or any one or more of them may be found and filed within fifteen years of the date of commission of such offense. An indictment for an offense set forth in sections seventeen, eighteen, nineteen and twenty-one of said chapter two hundred and sixty-five or section seventeen of chapter two hundred and seventy-two or for conspiracy to commit any such crime or as an accessory thereto or any one or more of them may be found and filed within ten years of the date of commission of such offense. An indictment for any other crime shall be found and filed within six years after such crime has been committed; provided, however, that any period during which the defendant is not usually and publicly a resident within the commonwealth shall be excluded in determining the time limited.

Approved February 23, 1996.