{"data":{"id":"us-ca/pen-804","jurisdiction":"us-ca","citation":"PEN § 804","heading":"","body":"Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, for the purpose of this chapter, prosecution for an offense is commenced when any of the following occurs:\n(a) An indictment or information is filed.\n(b) A complaint is filed charging a misdemeanor or infraction.\n(c) The defendant is arraigned on a complaint that charges the defendant with a felony.\n(d) An arrest warrant or bench warrant is issued, provided the warrant names or describes the defendant with the same degree of particularity required for an indictment, information, or complaint.","path":["Penal Code - PEN","PART 2. OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE [681. - 1620.]","TITLE 3. ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS REGARDING CRIMINAL PROCEDURE [777. - 883.]","CHAPTER 2. Time of Commencing Criminal Actions [799. - 805.]"],"source_url":"https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zip","current_through":"2026-09-13","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T05:56:33Z","sha256":"860abe098d20be7621be50ae4336c74bd1ee168af631a966416f2392056e5210","source_id":"us-ca","stale":false,"prev":"us-ca/pen-803.7","next":"us-ca/pen-805"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}