Venue for Federal Criminal Prosecution: Proposals in the 109th Congress

Publication Date: January 2006

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Justice

Type:

Abstract:

Venue, the place were federal criminal trials may be held, is a matter of constitutional and statutory law. Several proposals in the 109th Congress would expand federal venue. The Supreme Court's recent decisions in Cabrales and RodriguezMoreno suggest that a few of the proposals may be more limited than their terms might indicate. The proposals deal with venue in cases involving capital offenses, obstruction of justice, violent crime, drug trafficking offenses, false statements, failure to pay spousal support, and trial in emergency conditions. They appear in H.R. 229, H.R. 970, H.R. 1279, H.R. 1751, H.R. 4437, S. 155, and S. 1968. This report will be revised as circumstances warrant. Related reports include CRS Report RL33223, Venue: A Legal Analysis of Where a Federal Crime May Be Tried, which is available in abbreviated form as CRS Report RS22361, Venue: A Brief Look at Federal Law Governing Where a Federal Crime May Be Tried, both by Charles Doyle.