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DNA - A Prosecutor’s Practice Notebook Inventory

Traditional Statute of Limitations

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Traditional statute of limitations were enacted out of concern that defendants should be protected from stale prosecutions, as well as concerns that evidence in old prosecutions may have been lost, witnesses have become unavailable, or memories may have faded. However, the accuracy and reliability of today's DNA testing procedures, as well as the durability of the DNA evidence, call many of these concerns into question, especially when dealing with violent crimes like sexual assault.

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