Ohio § 2901.13

§ 2901.13.

(A)(1) Except as provided in division (A)(2), (3), (4), (5), or (6) of this section or as

otherwise provided in this section, a prosecution shall be barred unless it is commenced

within the following periods after an offense is committed: (a) For a felony, six years; (b) For a misdemeanor other than a minor misdemeanor, two years; (c) For a minor misdemeanor, six months. (2) There is no period of limitation for the prosecution of a violation of section 2903.01 or 2903.02 of the Revised Code or for the prosecution of a conspiracy to commit, attempt to commit, or complicity

in committing a violation of section 2903.01 or 2903.02 of the Revised Code . (3) Except as otherwise provided in divisions (B) to (J) of this section, a prosecution

of any of the following offenses shall be barred unless it is commenced within twenty

years after the offense is committed: (a) A violation of section 2903.03 , 2903.04 , 2905.01 , 2905.32 , 2907.04 , 2907.05 , 2907.21 , 2909.02 , 2909.22 , 2909.23 , 2909.24 , 2909.26 , 2909.27 , 2909.28 , 2909.29 , 2911.01 , 2911.02 , 2911.11 , 2911.12 , or 2917.02 of the Revised Code , a violation of section 2903.11 or 2903.12 of the Revised Code if the victim is a peace officer, a violation of section 2903.13 of the Revised Code that is a felony, or a violation of former section 2907.12 of the Revised Code; (b) A conspiracy to commit, attempt to commit, or complicity in committing a violation

set forth in division (A)(3)(a) of this section. (4) Except as otherwise provided in divisions (D) to (L) of this section, a prosecution

of a violation of section 2907.02 or 2907.03 of the Revised Code or a conspiracy to commit, attempt to commit, or complicity in committing a violation

of either section shall be barred unless it is commenced within twenty-five years

after the offense is committed. (5)(a) Except as otherwise provided in divisions (A)(5)(b) and (E) to (I) of this section,

a prosecution of a violation of section 2907.13 of the Revised Code shall be barred unless it is commenced within five years after the offense is committed. (b) Prosecution that would otherwise be barred under division (A)(5)(a) of this section

may be commenced within five years after the date of the discovery of the offense

by either an aggrieved person or the aggrieved person's legal representative who is

not a party to the offense. (c) As used in division (B)(5)(b) of this section, “ aggrieved person ” includes any of the following individuals with regard to a violation of section 2907.13 of the Revised Code : (i) A patient who was the victim of the violation; (ii) The spouse or surviving spouse of a patient who was the victim of the violation; (iii) Any child born as a result of the violation. (6) A prosecution for a violation of division (A)(1) or (4) of section 2151.421 of the

Revised Code, which is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree, or a misdemeanor of the

first degree under circumstances specified in section 2151.99 of the Revised Code , is barred unless it is commenced within four years after the violation is committed. (B)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(2) of this section, if the period of

limitation provided in division (A)(1) or (3) of this section has expired, prosecution

shall be commenced for an offense of which an element is fraud or breach of a fiduciary

duty, within one year after discovery of the offense either by an aggrieved person,

or by the aggrieved person's legal representative who is not a party to the offense. (2) If the period of limitation provided in division (A)(1) or (3) of this section has

expired, prosecution for a violation of section 2913.49 of the Revised Code shall be commenced within five years after discovery of the offense either by an

aggrieved person or the aggrieved person's legal representative who is not a party

to the offense. (C)(1) If the period of limitation provided in division (A)(1) or (3) of this section has

expired, prosecution shall be commenced for the following offenses during the following

specified periods of time: (a) For an offense involving misconduct in office by a public servant, at any time while

the accused remains a public servant, or within two years thereafter; (b) For an offense by a person who is not a public servant but whose offense is directly

related to the misconduct in office of a public servant, at any time while that public

servant remains a public servant, or within two years thereafter. (2) As used in this division: (a) An “ offense is directly related to the misconduct in office of a public servant ” includes, but is not limited to, a violation of section 101.71, 101.91, 121.61 or

2921.13, division (F) or (H) of section 102.03 , division (A) of section 2921.02, division (A) or (B) of section 2921.43, or division (F) or (G) of section 3517.13 of the Revised Code , that is directly related to an offense involving misconduct in office of a public

servant. (b) “Public servant” has the same meaning as in section 2921.01 of the Revised Code . (D)(1) If a DNA record made in connection with the criminal investigation of the commission

of a violation of section 2907.02 or 2907.03 of the Revised Code is determined to match another DNA record that is of an identifiable person and if

the time of the determination is later than twenty-five years after the offense is

committed, prosecution of that person for a violation of the section may be commenced

within five years after the determination is complete. (2) If a DNA record made in connection with the criminal investigation of the commission

of a violation of section 2907.02 or 2907.03 of the Revised Code is determined to match another DNA record that is of an identifiable person and if

the time of the determination is within twenty-five years after the offense is committed,

prosecution of that person for a violation of the section may be commenced within

the longer of twenty-five years after the offense is committed or five years after

the determination is complete. (3) As used in this division, “DNA record” has the same meaning as in section 109.573 of the Revised Code . (E) An offense is committed when every element of the offense occurs.  In the case of an offense of which an element is a continuing course of conduct,

the period of limitation does not begin to run until such course of conduct or the

accused's accountability for it terminates, whichever occurs first. (F) A prosecution is commenced on the date an indictment is returned or an information

filed, or on the date a lawful arrest without a warrant is made, or on the date a

warrant, summons, citation, or other process is issued, whichever occurs first.  A prosecution is not commenced by the return of an indictment or the filing of an

information unless reasonable diligence is exercised to issue and execute process

on the same.  A prosecution is not commenced upon issuance of a warrant, summons, citation, or

other process, unless reasonable diligence is exercised to execute the same. (G) The period of limitation shall not run during any time when the corpus delicti remains

undiscovered. (H) The period of limitation shall not run during any time when the accused purposely

avoids prosecution.  Proof that the accused departed this state or concealed the accused's identity or

whereabouts is prima-facie evidence of the accused's purpose to avoid prosecution. (I) The period of limitation shall not run during any time a prosecution against the

accused based on the same conduct is pending in this state, even though the indictment,

information, or process that commenced the prosecution is quashed or the proceedings

on the indictment, information, or process are set aside or reversed on appeal. (J) The period of limitation for a violation of any provision of Title XXIX of the Revised

Code that involves a physical or mental wound, injury, disability, or condition of

a nature that reasonably indicates abuse or neglect of a child under eighteen years

of age or of a child with a developmental disability or physical impairment under

twenty-one years of age shall not begin to run until either of the following occurs: (1) The victim of the offense reaches the age of majority. (2) A public children services agency, or a municipal or county peace officer that is

not the parent or guardian of the child, in the county in which the child resides

or in which the abuse or neglect is occurring or has occurred has been notified that

abuse or neglect is known, suspected, or believed to have occurred. (K) As used in this section, “peace officer” has the same meaning as in section 2935.01 of the Revised Code . (L)(1) The amendments to divisions (A) and (D) of this section that took effect on July

16, 2015, apply to a violation of section 2907.02 or 2907.03 of the Revised Code committed on and after July 16, 2015, and apply to a violation of either of those

sections committed prior to July 16, 2015, if prosecution for that violation was not

barred under this section as it existed on the day prior to July 16, 2015. (2) The amendment to division (A)(2) of this section that takes effect on April 4, 2023,

applies to a conspiracy to commit, attempt to commit, or complicity in committing

a violation of section 2903.01 or 2903.02 of the Revised Code if the conspiracy, attempt, or complicity is committed on or after April 4, 2023,

and applies to a conspiracy to commit, attempt to commit, or complicity in committing

a violation of either of those sections if the conspiracy, attempt, or complicity

was committed prior to April 4, 2023, and prosecution for that conspiracy, attempt,

or complicity was not barred under this section as it existed on the day prior to

April 4, 2023.