# Double Jeopardy (one crime, multiple victims in different states) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 9, 2008, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-jeopardy-one-crime-multiple-victims-in-different-states/455830 "2008-07-09T14:34:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-jeopardy-one-crime-multiple-victims-in-different-states/455830/21 "2008-07-09T16:40:35Z")
[QUOTE=Lemur866] Usually a crime can only be prosecuted if the authorities have jurisdiction. If I murder a guy in Mexico, I’m not going to be prosecuted in Guatemala. If I rob a house in Seattle, I can’t be prosecuted in Portland. . [/QUOTE] In many countries, courts are competent to try crimes that involve one of their citizens (as the victim or as the perpetrator), regardless of where the crime has been committed. Actually, I believe it’s the case in Mexico, so possibly also in other former Spanish colonies. So, you might be prosecuted in Guatemala for a crime committed in Mexico, if you or the victim is a citizen of Guatemala. It would apply to Bush too. He could be prosecuted in a foreign country, not because he broke some principle of the international law or another, but just because his actions caused harm to a citizen of said foreign country. That’s what almost happened to Pinochet, when Spain requested his extradition from the UK. And of course, the immunity a former head of State may benefit from in his own country is irrelevant in a foreign country (a current foreign head of state would benefit from diplomatic immunity, hence couldn’t be prosecuted). ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-jeopardy-one-crime-multiple-victims-in-different-states/455830/22 "2008-07-10T23:52:09Z")
[QUOTE=Lemur866] Well, clearly Bush could be charged with murder if he walked into an army base, pulled out a pistol and shot an active duty soldier in the head. So his immunity as Commander in Chief isn’t absolute. [/QUOTE] I understand that, but it really doesn’t answer my question. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-jeopardy-one-crime-multiple-victims-in-different-states/455830/23 "2008-07-11T00:05:54Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] From a legal standpoint, what is the definition of “killed in the line of duty”? [/QUOTE] I don’t know. But I wasn’t using the phrase as a term of art, but just as a general shorthand for “soldiers killed by events in a combat zone.” ---
**Author:** ![mks57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@mks57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mks57)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-jeopardy-one-crime-multiple-victims-in-different-states/455830/24 "2008-07-11T02:09:59Z")
When they finally caught the D.C. snipers, there was a long list of prosecutors that could have brought charges against them. > **[D.C. sniper attacks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beltway_sniper_attacks)** > > The D.C. sniper attacks (also known as the Beltway sniper attacks) were a series of coordinated shootings that occurred during three weeks in October 2002 throughout the Washington metropolitan area, consisting of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, and preliminary shootings, that consisted of murders and robberies in several states, and lasted for six months starting in February 2002. Seven people were killed and seven others were injured in the preliminary shootings, and ten peo... ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-jeopardy-one-crime-multiple-victims-in-different-states/455830/25 "2008-07-11T02:30:46Z")
[QUOTE=clairobscur] In many countries, courts are competent to try crimes that involve one of their citizens (as the victim or as the perpetrator), regardless of where the crime has been committed. [/QUOTE] The Indian Penal Code applies to extra-territorial crimes committed by Nationals: > [@](#): > > 1. > > ``` > Extension of Code to extra territorial offences.- The provisions if this Code apply also to any offence committed by- > > ``` > > (1) any citizen of India in any place without and beyond India; > > (2) any person on any shop or aircraft registered in India wherever it may be. [http://punjabrevenue.nic.in/crime1.htm#ch1](http://punjabrevenue.nic.in/crime1.htm#ch1) This is called the Nationality principle of jurisdiction. [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mlawofsea.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mlawofsea.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-jeopardy-one-crime-multiple-victims-in-different-states/455830.md?page=1)