California · Penal Code

PEN §853.2: (a) All courts and officers now or hereafter having and exercising jurisdiction in any county which is now or may hereafter be formed in any part of this state bordering upon the Colorado River, or an

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

This statute establishes concurrent jurisdiction for California courts and officers to prosecute crimes on the Colorado River and nearby areas that are also crimes under Arizona law, with protections against double prosecution.

Read the full statutory text
(a) All courts and officers now or hereafter having and exercising jurisdiction in any county which is now or may hereafter be formed in any part of this state bordering upon the Colorado River, or any lake formed by, or which is a part of, the Colorado River, shall have and exercise jurisdiction in all criminal cases upon those waters concurrently with the courts of and officers of the State of Arizona, so far and to the extent that any of these bodies of water form a common boundary between this state and the State of Arizona. In addition, the officers shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the officers of the State of Arizona on any land mass within 25 air miles of the Colorado River, or within 25 air miles of any lake formed by, or that is a part of, the Colorado River. (b) This section applies only to those crimes which are established in common between the States of Arizona and California; and an acquittal or conviction and sentence by one state shall bar a prosecution for the same act or omission by the other. (c) This compact shall not be construed to bar the enforcement of the penal laws of either state not established in common with the other, provided that the act or omission proscribed occurs on that state’s side of the river channel boundary. (d) This compact does not apply to Division 3.5 (commencing with Section 9840) of the Vehicle Code, relating to registration of vessels, or to Section 658.7 of the Harbors and Navigation Code, relating to the display of a ski flag.

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.