# Speeding in one state, the police are after you, you cross the state line... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 1, 2008, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-in-one-state-the-police-are-after-you-you-cross-the-state-line/431875 "2008-01-01T07:42:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-in-one-state-the-police-are-after-you-you-cross-the-state-line/431875/1 "2008-01-01T07:42:37Z")
Can the police from one US state follow you into another state for a speeding offense? If not, can they do so for more serious offenses? I don’t drive but am curious about how the law operates between the states. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-in-one-state-the-police-are-after-you-you-cross-the-state-line/431875/2 "2008-01-01T07:46:57Z")
Yes, even into another country. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-in-one-state-the-police-are-after-you-you-cross-the-state-line/431875/3 "2008-01-01T07:51:25Z")
[QUOTE=An Gadaí] Can the police from one US state follow you into another state for a speeding offense? If not, can they do so for more serious offenses? I don’t drive but am curious about how the law operates between the states. [/QUOTE] If you are speeding and the cops are following you and you refuse to stop the cops call that evasion. Which is more serious than a traffic infraction. The various states have interstate compacts which allow officers to maintain pursuit. It is not like the Dukes of Hazard where your safe if you make it over the State line. They also have radios so they can let the neighboring states police know you are coming and they will most likely chip in to help stop you. Of course the cops cannot immediately take you back across state lines, they must allow the state where you are eventually stopped take you in and then go through the courts extradition process. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-in-one-state-the-police-are-after-you-you-cross-the-state-line/431875/4 "2008-01-01T07:53:10Z")
[QUOTE=Will Repair] Yes, even into another country. [/QUOTE] Cite? ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-in-one-state-the-police-are-after-you-you-cross-the-state-line/431875/5 "2008-01-01T08:01:43Z")
[QUOTE=askeptic] Cite? [/QUOTE] [Several of them.](http://www.google.com/search?q=hot+pursuit+laws&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a) ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-in-one-state-the-police-are-after-you-you-cross-the-state-line/431875/6 "2008-01-01T08:03:28Z")
[QUOTE=askeptic] If you are speeding and the cops are following you and you refuse to stop the cops call that evasion. Which is more serious than a traffic infraction. The various states have interstate compacts which allow officers to maintain pursuit. It is not like the Dukes of Hazard where your safe if you make it over the State line. They also have radios so they can let the neighboring states police know you are coming and they will most likely chip in to help stop you. Of course the cops cannot immediately take you back across state lines, they must allow the state where you are eventually stopped take you in and then go through the courts extradition process. [/QUOTE] Interstate Rendition. Uniform Act on Fresh Pursuit [Cite.](http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0010-1958%28193804%2938%3A4%3C705%3AIRUAOF%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Z&size=SMALL&origin=JSTOR-reducePage) An example. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-in-one-state-the-police-are-after-you-you-cross-the-state-line/431875/7 "2008-01-01T08:04:53Z")
[QUOTE=Will Repair] [Several of them.](http://www.google.com/search?q=hot+pursuit+laws&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a) [/QUOTE] Care to point to the one that allows American cops to enter a foreign country in pursuit of a fugitive? ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-in-one-state-the-police-are-after-you-you-cross-the-state-line/431875/8 "2008-01-01T08:11:16Z")
[Here](http://buffaloreport.com/2004/040223.jackson.cowboys.html) is a cite that police officers in the U.S. can’t continue hot pursuit without specific prior authorization from the appropriate Mexican or Canadian officials. > [@](#): > > New York police in hot pursuit may be permitted to follow suspects across jurisdictions within New York State, but there is no hot pursuit authority across either of the United States’ international borders: no US municipal, state, or federal lawman can go into Mexico or Canada and do anything without specific prior authorization from the appropriate Mexican or Canadian officials. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-in-one-state-the-police-are-after-you-you-cross-the-state-line/431875/9 "2008-01-01T09:31:05Z")
… ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-in-one-state-the-police-are-after-you-you-cross-the-state-line/431875/10 "2008-01-01T09:59:57Z")
This will teach me to take a lawyer at his word instead of looking it up myself. Three areas of hot pursuit - land, air, sea. Sea is pretty much a lock. Canada - Agreement on fisheries enforcement, 26 September 1990 Mexico - Maritime law Air Canada - Nothing beyond maritime rules Mexico - [Allowed](http://209.85.207.104/search?q=cache:-8SogftYswsJ:se2.isn.ch/serviceengine/FileContent%3FserviceID%3D21%26fileid%3DBB2B51EB-DCD0-0962-A7C2-80DB28CFEA21%26lng%3Den+%22hot+pursuit%22+%22united+states%22+canada+mexico+%22international+law%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=24&gl=us&client=firefox-a) Land - Canada - This I haven’t been able to find but I notice on that blog site cited that the Canadian cops did not stop the New York police but rather that the NY police called their cars back. Mexico - At first okay. Then we invaded Mexico a couple of times so now no. The United States stepped up the hot pursuit thing a notch, just ask [Humberto Álvarez Machaín](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humberto_%C3%81lvarez_Macha%C3%ADn) In summary, Mexico says no, US says [yes](http://books.google.com/books?id=npdgzJEROswC&pg=PA13&lpg=PA13&dq=%22hot+pursuit%22+%22united+states%22+mexico&source=web&ots=9IMLNUOM9D&sig=7W8eiM3JCT_I1aVaBwNPrcd4lbA#PPA14,M1) Now let’s be practical, tell me the name of a cop who while chasing you would stop at a road sign that says “Welcome to Someplace Else.” [Cecil on hot pursuit.](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mlawofsea.html) ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-in-one-state-the-police-are-after-you-you-cross-the-state-line/431875/11 "2008-01-01T15:10:22Z")
[QUOTE=Will Repair] Now let’s be practical, tell me the name of a cop who while chasing you would stop at a road sign that says “Welcome to Someplace Else.” [/QUOTE] Arthur Grimble. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2008, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-in-one-state-the-police-are-after-you-you-cross-the-state-line/431875/12 "2008-01-01T15:38:07Z")
[QUOTE=Will Repair] Air Canada - Nothing beyond maritime rules Mexico - [Allowed](http://209.85.207.104/search?q=cache:-8SogftYswsJ:se2.isn.ch/serviceengine/FileContent%3FserviceID%3D21%26fileid%3DBB2B51EB-DCD0-0962-A7C2-80DB28CFEA21%26lng%3Den+%22hot+pursuit%22+%22united+states%22+canada+mexico+%22international+law%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=24&gl=us&client=firefox-a) [/quote] Not really. Your cite does not say that. > [@will](#): > > Land - > Canada - This I haven’t been able to find but I notice on that blog site cited that the Canadian cops did not stop the New York police but rather that the NY police called their cars back. > Mexico - At first okay. Then we invaded Mexico a couple of times so now no. The United States stepped up the hot pursuit thing a notch, just ask [Humberto Álvarez Machaín](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humberto_%C3%81lvarez_Macha%C3%ADn) In summary, Mexico says no, US says [yes](http://books.google.com/books?id=npdgzJEROswC&pg=PA13&lpg=PA13&dq=%22hot+pursuit%22+%22united+states%22+mexico&source=web&ots=9IMLNUOM9D&sig=7W8eiM3JCT_I1aVaBwNPrcd4lbA#PPA14,M1) > [@your own cite](#): > > US drug policy became more nationalistic and unilateral than ever after the Camarena murder. The US policy instruments used in the bilateral drug warbecame increasingly militarised and the US flouted international law whenHumberto Alvarez Macháin, one of those involved in Camarena’s murder, waskidnapped and brought to the US to stand trial. Although most suspects werebrought to trial in Mexico, two were brought to trial in the US. The DEA paidMexican nationals to capture the two in Mexico and, through collaborationbetween Mexican police and DEA agents, smuggle them into the US. TheMexican government protested. Ultimately, the Alvarez Macháin case went all the way to the US Supreme Court which upheld the abduction in 1992, therebyasserting a US right to take extraterritorial legal action, which is, and was,generally considered a violation of international law. > [@Will](#): > > Now let’s be practical, tell me the name of a cop who while chasing you would stop at a road sign that says “Welcome to Someplace Else.” If the sign says “Bienvenidos a Mexico” or “Beinvenu a Canada” any cop who wants to keep his job better stop. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-in-one-state-the-police-are-after-you-you-cross-the-state-line/431875/13 "2008-01-03T09:38:02Z")
**askeptic** , yep, I was wrong about hot pursuit by air into Mexico. Don’t understand your second point. The US still maintains its right to hot pursuit while negotiating for a treaty that allows it. ---
**Author:** ![MarcusF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-in-one-state-the-police-are-after-you-you-cross-the-state-line/431875/14 "2008-01-03T11:08:33Z")
The Machain case was not actually “hot pusuit”. Hot pursuit refers to law enforcement agents actually chasing the suspects with no break. As I understand it, in the Machain case there was nothing “hot” about it - it was just the United States asserting its “right” to abduct a foreign citizen, suspected of a crime against US law, from any country it wants to. This issue recently [made the news](http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article2982640.ece) in the UK when a lawyer acting for for the US Government told the English Court of Appeal that, under US law, a British citizen, kidnapped from the streets of London and facing charges in the States, would have no legal remedy under US law. Not surprisingly this caused some disbelief in Britain - causing even America’s friends and supporters to take a sharp intake of breath and confirming the anti-US crowd in their belief that America is an arrogant bully that only follows civilised norms of international behaviour when it is in its own interest. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-in-one-state-the-police-are-after-you-you-cross-the-state-line/431875/15 "2008-01-03T17:14:46Z")
TRAIN TO ZONE! _cough_ I don’t know about the US, but I’ve read several news-stories about criminals in Norway fleeing to Sweden and being caught by Norwegian troopers in pursuit. In one of them, a trooper car crashed into a building after sliding on ice and the trooper car was subject to Swedish law, but the transportation of the criminal back to Norway was pretty instantaneous once he was caught and arrested. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-in-one-state-the-police-are-after-you-you-cross-the-state-line/431875/16 "2008-01-03T17:22:23Z")
[QUOTE=askeptic] It is not like the Dukes of Hazard where your safe if you make it over the State line. [/QUOTE] In _Dukes of Hazard_, I believe it was the _county_ line. Which jibes even less with reality. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-in-one-state-the-police-are-after-you-you-cross-the-state-line/431875/17 "2008-01-03T17:23:27Z")
My corner of the universe is a bunch of small towns with common borders. If local cops didn’t have county cooperation, you could commit a crime on the border of one town and just hop into another. Don’t laugh. I know someone who tried it. Didn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-in-one-state-the-police-are-after-you-you-cross-the-state-line/431875/18 "2008-01-03T17:38:42Z")
The thing i never got is how cops arent supposed to cross the border…Why cant they just cross as private citizens and make a citizens arrest? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-in-one-state-the-police-are-after-you-you-cross-the-state-line/431875/19 "2008-01-03T17:41:29Z")
[QUOTE=ChrisBooth12] The thing i never got is how cops arent supposed to cross the border..Why cant they just cross as private citizens and make a citizens arrest? [/QUOTE] Isn’t this the exact question posted in the OP? ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2008, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-in-one-state-the-police-are-after-you-you-cross-the-state-line/431875/20 "2008-01-03T17:49:23Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray] In _Dukes of Hazard_, I believe it was the _county_ line. Which jibes even less with reality. [/QUOTE] Ha **zz** ard. Just a nitpick. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speeding-in-one-state-the-police-are-after-you-you-cross-the-state-line/431875.md?page=2)