§540A — Title 28 Judiciary and Judicial Procedure | U.S. Code

Summary

The Attorney General and the FBI Director can help state or local police investigate violent felonies when the victim seems to have been picked because they were traveling. If the victim is from another country, those officials, and when needed the Secretary of State, must help state authorities get evidence or information from abroad. Definitions: felony crime of violence — a crime punishable by more than one year that involves using, trying to use, or threatening physical force; State — includes the States, the District of Columbia, and U.S. commonwealths, territories, and possessions; traveler — a victim who does not live in the State where the crime happened.

Title 28, §540A

Judiciary and Judicial Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)At the request of an appropriate law enforcement official of a State or political subdivision, the Attorney General and Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation may assist in the investigation of a felony crime of violence in violation of the law of any State in which the victim appears to have been selected because he or she is a traveler.

(b)In a case in which the traveler who is a victim of a crime described in subsection (a) is from a foreign nation, the Attorney General and Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and, when appropriate, the Secretary of State shall assist the prosecuting and law enforcement officials of a State or political subdivision to the fullest extent possible in securing from abroad such evidence or other information as may be needed for the effective investigation and prosecution of the crime.

(c)In this section—

(1)“felony crime of violence” means an offense punishable by more than one year in prison that has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person of another.

(2)“State” means a State, the District of Columbia, and any commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States.

(3)“traveler” means a victim of a crime of violence who is not a resident of the State in which the crime of violence occurred.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1996—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104–294 designated three undesignated pars. as pars. (1) to (3).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1996 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 104–294 effective Sept. 13, 1994, see section 604(d) of Pub. L. 104–294, set out as a note under section 13 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure.

§540A Investigation of violent crimes against travelers