Notes on 18 U.S.C. § 7 : US Code - Notes

Search Notes on 18 U.S.C. § 7 : US Code - Notes

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 685; July 12, 1952, ch. 695, 66
Stat. 589; Pub. L. 97-96, Sec. 6, Dec. 21, 1981, 95 Stat. 1210;
Pub. L. 98-473, title II, Sec. 1210, Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2164;
Pub. L. 103-322, title XII, Sec. 120002, Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat.
2021; Pub. L. 107-56, title VIII, Sec. 804, Oct. 26, 2001, 115
Stat. 377.)
HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Sec. 451 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch.
321, Sec. 272, 35 Stat. 1142; June 11, 1940, ch. 323, 54 Stat.
304).
The words "The term 'special maritime and territorial
jurisdiction of the United States' as used in this title includes:"
were substituted for the words "The crimes and offenses defined in
sections 451-468 of this title shall be punished as herein
prescribed."
This section first appeared in the 1909 Criminal Code. It made it
possible to combine in one chapter all the penal provisions
covering acts within the admiralty and maritime jurisdiction
without the necessity of repeating in each section the places
covered.
The present section has made possible the allocation of the
diverse provisions of chapter 11 of Title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., to
particular chapters restricted to particular offenses, as
contemplated by the alphabetical chapter arrangement.
In several revised sections of said chapter 11 the words "within
the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United
States" have been added. Thus the jurisdictional limitation will be
preserved in all sections of said chapter 11 describing an offense.
Enumeration of names of Great Lakes was omitted as unnecessary.
Other minor changes were necessary now that the section defines a
term rather than the place of commission of crime or offense;
however, the extent of the special jurisdiction as originally
enacted has been carefully followed.
REFERENCES IN TEXT
Section 101 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, referred to
in par. (9), is classified to section 1101 of Title 8, Aliens and
Nationality.
AMENDMENTS
2001 - Par. (9). Pub. L. 107-56 added par. (9).
1994 - Par. (8). Pub. L. 103-322 added par. (8).
1984 - Par. (7). Pub. L. 98-473 added par. (7).
1981 - Par. (6). Pub. L. 97-96 added par. (6).
1952 - Par. (5). Act July 12, 1952, added par. (5).
TERRITORIAL SEA EXTENDING TO TWELVE MILES INCLUDED IN SPECIAL
MARITIME AND TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION
Pub. L. 104-132, title IX, Sec. 901(a), Apr. 24, 1996, 110 Stat.
1317, provided that: "The Congress declares that all the
territorial sea of the United States, as defined by Presidential
Proclamation 5928 of December 27, 1988 [set out as a note under
section 1331 of Title 43, Public Lands], for purposes of Federal
criminal jurisdiction is part of the United States, subject to its
sovereignty, and is within the special maritime and territorial
jurisdiction of the United States for the purposes of title 18,
United States Code."