Ex post facto laws are forbidden by the United States Constitution, and this protection prohibits the government from charging you with a crime using a law that was created after the crime was committed. If it was not a crime at the time an actor committed an act, then the actor may not be charged when the act becomes a crime. But protection against ex post facto laws effect more than just the elements of a crime, it also effects sentencing and punishment. The links below describe an unusual situation involving a cold case murder. Read the articles and discuss the questions below.
Man, 52, Is Convicted as a Juvenile in a 1976 Murder, Creating a Legal Tangle
10-year prison term imposed in cold case murder of Westfield woman