Alaska Criminal Defense Attorneys

Felony Statute of Limitations

No limit

No limit for murder; 10 years for most sexual felonies; 5 years for other felonies (AS 12.10.010)

Misdemeanor Statute of Limitations

5 years

5 years for most misdemeanors (AS 12.10.010(b))

Sentencing Structure

Presumptive sentencing

Presumptive sentencing under AS 12.55.125 — ranges tied to felony class and prior history; mandatory minimums for many sex and drug offenses

Expungement / Record Sealing

Alaska has

Alaska has no general expungement statute — only AS 12.62.180 set-aside (limited) and AS 12.55.085 SIS (suspended imposition of sentence) erasure. Arrests can be sealed under AS 12.62.170.

Bail / Pretrial Release

Bail set

Bail set under AS 12.30.011 and Alaska R. Crim. P. 41 — pretrial risk assessment used statewide, with constitutional right to bail except for capital offenses (Alaska Const. Art. I, § 11)

Typical attorney fee

Hourly

Hourly / Flat Fee

Alaska’s criminal code (AS Title 11) uses a presumptive sentencing framework under AS 12.55.125 that ties sentence ranges to felony class and prior history — first-time Class A felonies start at 5–8 years, and prior felonies push presumptive ranges up sharply. Alaska’s Constitution includes a unique express right to privacy (Art. I, § 22) that provides broader search-and-seizure protections than the Fourth Amendment alone — and Alaska courts have used it to require warrants in contexts federal courts wouldn’t. After the 2016 SB 91 reforms aimed at reducing prison populations, the 2019 HB 49 rolled back many of those changes, restoring harsher sentencing for property and drug crimes. Alaska’s plea-bargaining culture is shaped by the Alaska Attorney General’s longstanding restrictions on charge-bargaining (Plea Bargain Policy, 1975) — sentence-bargaining is allowed but charge-bargaining is more restricted than in most states.