Opinion ID: 1677618
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Procedural Nature of Statutes of Limitations

Text: Although not germane to the adjudication of this appeal, we take the opportunity to address the Court of Appeals' incorrect suggestion that in a criminal case, the statute of limitations may be considered substantive in nature. The Court of Appeals appears to have reached that conclusion in an effort to harmonize our decisions holding that statutes of limitations are procedural in nature with its holding that the Hirsch charge was time barred. However, the fact that the procedural rules applied are those in effect at the time of the proceeding does not preclude a finding that, under appropriate circumstances, an action has been time barred by a prior statute. In Tyson, supra, the court considered which of two successive statutes of limitations should be applied. Prior to the case then before the court, it had held that the statute in effect at the time of the commencement of the action should apply rather than the statute in effect at the time the cause of action arose. The Tyson court, however, clearly distinguished cases where the later period of limitations had been enacted before the action was time barred. Under both a vested-right defense in their state's constitution and the prohibition against ex post facto laws, the Tyson court found that the action was barred by the statute of limitations in existence at the time of the commencement of the action. See, also, State v. Noah, 246 Kan. 291, 788 P.2d 257 (1990) (criminal statute of limitations is procedural, and amendment of the statute may be applied to criminal acts occurring prior to the date of the amendment if the crimes charged have not been barred prior to that date); State v. Casaretto, 818 S.W.2d 313 (Mo.App.1991) (new statute of limitations passed after events criminal defendant was charged with allegedly occurred but before old limitations period had run was procedural and, thus, permissibly extended the statutory period).