Felonies generally have a five-year statute of limitations, with exceptions for murder, arson, or rape.

• A. Five years, unless the charge is murder, arson, or rape.
• B. Five years for all felonies.
• C. One year.
• D. Five years for certain felonies.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how statutes of limitations limit when a criminal case can be filed. For felonies, the usual window is five years, but some very serious offenses aren’t capped by that five-year rule. In this context, murder, arson, and rape are listed as exceptions, meaning charges for those crimes aren’t bound by the same five-year limit (they may have a longer period or no limit at all, depending on the jurisdiction).

So the best choice states that felonies are generally five years, unless the charge is murder, arson, or rape. The other options miss this nuance: saying all felonies are five years ignores the exceptions; saying one year is not accurate for felonies; and saying five years for certain felonies is vague and doesn’t reflect the standard baseline plus specified exceptions.