Koletar (2006) defines geographic jurisdiction in criminal law as the power to investigate and prosecute individuals involved in criminal activities within a given geographic boundary. For instance, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has geographic jurisdiction over criminal cases within the boundaries of the United States of America. Subject-matter jurisdiction in law refers to the power to investigate and prosecute particular criminal cases. For instance, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration only focuses on issues relating to drug trafficking and drug abuse.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s geographic jurisdiction spans the entire country (Roberts & Hough, 2005). It has the power to investigate criminal activities within the boundaries of the United States. This agency has jurisdiction over more than 200 classes of federal crimes. The types of crimes under its jurisdiction include murder, robbery with or without violence, drug trafficking, human trafficking, organized crimes, terrorism, among others.
According to Vito, Kunselman, and Tewksbury (2014), although there are specialized agencies responsible for crimes like homicide, this crime is under the jurisdiction of the FBI. Their agents may be involved in such investigations, especially if it is suspected that they may be related to other criminal activities. Aggravated robbery falls under the jurisdiction of the FBI. This agency has the mandate to investigate such offenses and present its finding to a court of law for appropriate measures to be taken. Weiner (2013) notes that it is common for FBI agents to work alongside the local law enforcement agencies such as highway patrol officers or sheriffs to investigate some cases.
At the state level, the police would have jurisdiction over a residential burglary. According to Bohm and Haley (2012), the police would always respond when cases of burglary are reported. They are expected to be of service to the people, and this is one of the services they are expected to offer. In minor cases of burglary, the county sheriffs may have jurisdiction to investigate and take appropriate actions. Sheriffs are more common in remote places than in major urban centers. Other law enforcement agencies such as the FBI may be called upon if the burglary also involves other criminal acts beyond the jurisdiction of the state enforcement agencies.
According to Siegel and Worrall (2015), there are cases where more than one level of law enforcement agency has jurisdiction over the same crime. A good example is a case where a drug lord is murdered by a rival gang in his home. The local police officers will have jurisdiction over the case to investigate it due to a possible burglary as the rival gang forced their way to the home of the victim. Their interest will be to determine how the rival criminal gang forced their way intending to prosecute the criminals for the crimes of burglary and murder. The United States Drug Enforcement Administration officers also have jurisdiction over this case. This agency will try to investigate the links that the drug lord has with other drug cartels to arrest those involved in the trade. The Federal Bureau of Intelligence will have jurisdiction over the murder of the drug lord and the involvement in the drug trafficking trade. The aim will be to bring the perpetrators to justice and to nub all those who are involved in this illicit trade.
References
Bohm, M., & Haley, K. (2012). Introduction to criminal justice. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Koletar, J. W. (2006). The FBI career guide: Inside information on getting chosen for and succeeding in one of the toughest, most prestigious jobs in the world. New York: AMACOM.
Roberts, V., & Hough, M. (2005). Understanding public attitudes to criminal justice. Maidenhead, Berkshire: Open University Press.
Siegel, L. & Worrall, J. (2015). Introduction to Criminal Justice. New York: Words of Wisdom LLC.
Vito, F., Kunselman, C., & Tewksbury, R. (2014). Introduction to criminal justice research methods: An applied approach. New York: Wiley & Sons
Weiner, T. (2013). Enemies: A history of the FBI. London: Penguin.