Los Angeles, CA asked in Criminal Law for California

Q: Does a statute of limitations described in the Vehicle Code Preclude other charges?

If the California Vehicle code states:

(b) The period for commencing criminal action against any person having filed or caused to be filed any false, fictitious, altered, forged or counterfeit document with the Department of Motor Vehicles or the Department of the California Highway Patrol shall, if the offense is a felony, expire three years from time of discovery of such act.

(c) The time allowed for commencing criminal proceedings as provided in subdivisions (a) and (b) of this section shall not extend beyond five years from the date of commission of the act.

Do these statutes apply only to vehicle code crimes, or any charges stemming from the same event? (such as perjury)

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1 Lawyer Answer

A: A perjury charge is a "wobber" meaning it can be charged as a misdemeanor or as a felony. The latter has a 3 year statute of limitations.

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