32 V.S.A. § 639
This is the official text of 32 V.S.A. § 639, part of Vermont’s V.S.A — part of the compiled statutory law of Vermont, published by the state as "V.S.A." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§ 639. Limitation of actions; final judgments in criminal proceedings
Official statutory text
(a) A civil action under section 632 of this chapter for a violation of subsection 631(a) of this chapter may not be brought after the last to occur of:
(1) more than six years after the date on which the violation was committed; or
(2) more than three years after the date when facts material to the right of action are known or reasonably should have been known by the official within the Attorney General's office with responsibility to act in the circumstances, but in no event more than 10 years after the date on which the violation is committed.
(b) A civil action under this subchapter may be brought for activity prior to enactment if the limitations period set in subsection (a) of this section has not lapsed.
(c) If the State elects to intervene and proceed with an action brought under subsection 632(b) of this chapter, the State may file its own complaint or amend the complaint of a person who has brought an action pursuant to subsection 632(b). For statute of limitations purposes, any such pleading shall relate back to the filing date of the complaint of the person who originally brought the action, to the extent that the claim of the State arises out of the conduct, transactions, or occurrences set forth, or attempted to be set forth, in the prior complaint of that person.
(d) Notwithstanding any other general or special law, rule of procedure, or rule of evidence to the contrary, a final judgment rendered in favor of the State in any criminal proceeding charging false statements or fraud, whether upon a verdict after trial or upon a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, shall estop the defendant from denying the essential elements of the offense in any action that involves the same transaction as in the criminal proceeding and that is brought under section 632 of this chapter.
(1) more than six years after the date on which the violation was committed; or
(2) more than three years after the date when facts material to the right of action are known or reasonably should have been known by the official within the Attorney General's office with responsibility to act in the circumstances, but in no event more than 10 years after the date on which the violation is committed.
(b) A civil action under this subchapter may be brought for activity prior to enactment if the limitations period set in subsection (a) of this section has not lapsed.
(c) If the State elects to intervene and proceed with an action brought under subsection 632(b) of this chapter, the State may file its own complaint or amend the complaint of a person who has brought an action pursuant to subsection 632(b). For statute of limitations purposes, any such pleading shall relate back to the filing date of the complaint of the person who originally brought the action, to the extent that the claim of the State arises out of the conduct, transactions, or occurrences set forth, or attempted to be set forth, in the prior complaint of that person.
(d) Notwithstanding any other general or special law, rule of procedure, or rule of evidence to the contrary, a final judgment rendered in favor of the State in any criminal proceeding charging false statements or fraud, whether upon a verdict after trial or upon a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, shall estop the defendant from denying the essential elements of the offense in any action that involves the same transaction as in the criminal proceeding and that is brought under section 632 of this chapter.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Vermont?
Find a Vermont lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.