Federal · Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

18 U.S.C. § 3238: Offenses not committed in any district

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

This statute establishes procedural rules for where trials occur for offenses committed on the high seas or outside state jurisdiction, based on where the offender is arrested or resides.

Read the full statutory text
The trial of all offenses begun or committed upon the high seas, or elsewhere out of the jurisdiction of any particular State or district, shall be in the district in which the offender, or any one of two or more joint offenders, is arrested or is first brought; but if such offender or offenders are not so arrested or brought into any district, an indictment or information may be filed in the district of the last known residence of the offender or of any one of two or more joint offenders, or if no such residence is known the indictment or information may be filed in the District of Columbia.

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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.