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(AP) -- The state Supreme Court is deciding whether prosecutors in southwestern Missouri missed the deadline to file charges in two criminal cases.

Missouri's statute of limitations gives prosecutors three years to bring forward a case for most felonies. The clock starts the day after the offense is committed and stops when a criminal complaint or indictment is filed. However, the Missouri Constitution requires the filing of an indictment or information to prosecute -- not a complaint.

In two cases before the high court, prosecutors filed a criminal complaint within the three year window. But judges in Greene County concluded the law is unconstitutional and dismissed the cases. The Missouri Supreme Court scheduled arguments in both cases for Thursday.

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