NM Senate Republican Whip on eliminating Statute of Limitations for Homi...

SB 37 No Time Limit to Prosecute Certain Crimes
Senator Bill Payne
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Santa Fe –New Mexico Senate Republican Whip Bill Payne is sponsoring a bill to remove the statute of limitations for certain crimes that take someone’s life.

Currently, only first degree murder has no statute of limitation, or time limit for prosecuting a first degree murder case.

Under Senate Payne’s bill, the statute of limitation would be eliminated for any type of homicide. It would remove the six year statute of limitation for second-degree murder. It would also remove the time limit for a case to be tried for: every degree of murder, voluntary and involuntary manslaughter, assisted suicide and vehicular homicide.

Senator Payne said criminals should not get away with a homicide because the calendar runs out.

“This is bill is not about changing penalties, it is eliminating the time limit in finding evidence to charge someone with a homicide,” Senator Payne said. “Someone should not get away with taking another’s life if enough evidence to charge a person with homicide is found one day after the current statute of limitations runs out.”

He said because of improved technology, and advances in forensics and DNA testing, reliable evidence can be found many years after a homicide is committed.