Title 18Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73

§3265 Initial proceedings

Title 18 › Part PART II— - CRIMINAL PROCEDURE › Chapter CHAPTER 212— - MILITARY EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION › § 3265

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

If a person is arrested or charged under section 3261(a) and is not turned over to a foreign country under section 3263, a Federal magistrate judge must handle their first court appearance under the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. The judge can hold that hearing by phone or other voice-only means that include the person's lawyer. The judge must decide if there is probable cause that the crime in section 3261(a) happened and that the person did it. If probable cause is found and no one asks for pretrial detention, the judge must set the person’s release conditions under chapter 207. Any detention hearing under section 3142(f) for the same person must also be before a Federal magistrate judge and can be done by phone at the person’s request. If the first hearing happens while the person is outside the United States and they need an appointed lawyer, the magistrate may appoint a qualified military counsel — a judge advocate who graduated law school or is a member of a federal or state high court bar and is certified by their service’s Judge Advocate General.

Full Legal Text

Title 18, §3265

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)In the case of any person arrested for or charged with a violation of section 3261(a) who is not delivered to authorities of a foreign country under section 3263, the initial appearance of that person under the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure—
(A)shall be conducted by a Federal magistrate judge; and
(B)may be carried out by telephony or such other means that enables voice communication among the participants, including any counsel representing the person.
(2)In conducting the initial appearance, the Federal magistrate judge shall also determine whether there is probable cause to believe that an offense under section 3261(a) was committed and that the person committed it.
(3)If the Federal magistrate judge determines that probable cause exists that the person committed an offense under section 3261(a), and if no motion is made seeking the person’s detention before trial, the Federal magistrate judge shall also determine at the initial appearance the conditions of the person’s release before trial under chapter 207 of this title.
(b)In the case of any person described in subsection (a), any detention hearing of that person under section 3142(f)—
(1)shall be conducted by a Federal magistrate judge; and
(2)at the request of the person, may be carried out by telephony or such other means that enables voice communication among the participants, including any counsel representing the person.
(c)(1)If any initial proceeding under this section with respect to any such person is conducted while the person is outside the United States, and the person is entitled to have counsel appointed for purposes of such proceeding, the Federal magistrate judge may appoint as such counsel for purposes of such hearing a qualified military counsel.
(2)For purposes of this subsection, the term “qualified military counsel” means a judge advocate made available by the Secretary of Defense for purposes of such proceedings, who—
(A)is a graduate of an accredited law school or is a member of the bar of a Federal court or of the highest court of a State; and
(B)is certified as competent to perform such duties by the Judge Advocate General of the armed force of which he is a member.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), are set out in the Appendix to this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

18 U.S.C. § 3265

Title 18Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73