What is a purpose of the Statute of Limitations?

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Statutes of limitations set a deadline for bringing criminal charges to ensure cases are decided while evidence is still reliable. The main idea is to prevent decisions based on stale evidence—memory fades, witnesses become unavailable, and physical evidence can degrade or be lost over time. A time limit helps keep prosecutions fair by requiring timely investigation. It doesn’t aim to stop government delays in general, it imposes a finite window for action; it doesn’t grant unlimited time to prosecute, and it doesn’t hinge on eyewitness testimony, since prosecutions rely on a range of evidence, not just memories from individuals.