the voting process

[fledglingoflove]

Let me begin by saying that I don't really understand why your vote is supposed to be secret. If you support a candidate, shouldn't you publically support him or her, and encourage people to vote for that candidate? Ah, well

Comments

[brentdax]

But is murder against federal or state law?

I think I mentioned this once, possibly in a comment to this journal. 18 USC § 1111, part of federal law, covers murder, but restricts that coverage to "the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States"--i.e. all the areas in the US outside of the individual states (territories, territorial waters, the District of Colombia, etc.). Murder within any state is covered by state law, not federal.

[fledglingoflove]

Ooooh, sweet. I do support the Libertarian position on abortion, then. Thanks Brent. ^_^

[countalpicola]

To expand on this a bit, murder has traditionally been viewed as a federal issue in some other circumstances as well. Murders committed on federal property or against federal officials on duty may also fall under the jusrisdiction of the federal government. This would be among the reasons why it's a Really Bad Idea to kill your letter carrier.

States, though, also have jurisdiction over these cases, which can sometimes lead to someone being tried for murder both in state and federal court. This is the only Constitutionally perimssible way of getting something that is essentially double jeopardy, allowed only because the federal and state governments have separate soverigenty. [/legal trivia of the day]

[vorkon]

Except, of course, when you are also governed by the UCMJ... Triple jeapordy would really suck. Urgh... There go my plans to kill the mailman...

Maybe we should call that final jeapordy?

>_>;;

[vorkon]

...or maybe we could just call it jeopardy, like everyone else...