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Comment by ceejayoz

6 days ago

> whether the child is “subject to the jurisdiction” of the U.S. at birth

If I strangle said child in the maternity ward, do you think the US will go "whoops, no jurisdiction!"

that would be jurisdiction on you committing murder, which they do have.

  • So reversing the scenario - an illegal immigrant kills me - can't be prosecuted? Because they're not under US jurisdiction?

    • That question isn't really meaningful, because commission of a crime is a basis for jurisdiction.

      Generally if party A commits a crime against party B jurisdiction can be claimed by (1) the country where the crime occurred, (2) the country A is a citizen of, and (3) the country B is a citizen of.

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    • Unless you were snuffed out on federal land, I think state law would reign in this situation, and the states can have jurisdiction over you just by being on their territory. In fact, I seem to remember a time when you could be a citizen of a state, but not of the United States, to further complicate matters.

      7 replies →

    • you are arguing with people who are being academic to a fault, unable to see how they've been co-opted. that said, i appreciate the commentary from real lawyers - i LIKE academic stuff even if the real, hard embodied politics of it all is straightforward.

  • jurisdiction is not dependent just on the person. it is a geographical encapsulation. all people within this boundary are subject to the jurisdiction.

    • That's not true. Even the liberal interpretation of this recognizes that some people within the geographic boundary are not subject to the jurisdiction. Diplomats and invading armies, for example.