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who has jurisdiction while "in between" state borders?

B

BlahBlahYouToo

Lifer
if i speed while crossing one of the bridges/tunnels connecting NY and NJ, who has the authority to pull me over? the PA police?

looking at google maps, it appears the state border is the midway point of the hudson river, but how will they make the determination of which state i'm in?
 
BlahBlahYouToo said:
where did i say that?
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It was implied that you believed there was a portion of bridge that existed between state lines.

Borders are not thick, they aren't measured in distance between states, they're just there. One second you're in NY, next second you're in NJ.

If you get pulled over on the NY side, it's a NY cop. If you get pulled over on the Jersey side, it's a Jersey cop. Simple. There is no "in between".
 
Around here, I've seen incidents where people were pulled over in CA by NV cops and vice versa. The OOS cop held the offender there until an in-state cop could arrive. IIRC the OOS cop attempted to pull the offender over in their jurisdiction but the offender waited until crossing the state line, thinking that would save them.
 
you mean like while you're swimming on the Mississippi or the Missouri river?

I'd say the river pirates and bull sharks have jurisdiction. Whichever gets to you first is what matters.
 
sactoking said:
Around here, I've seen incidents where people were pulled over in CA by NV cops and vice versa. The OOS cop held the offender there until an in-state cop could arrive. IIRC the OOS cop attempted to pull the offender over in their jurisdiction but the offender waited until crossing the state line, thinking that would save them.
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You saying it doesn't work like Dukes of Hazzard?! :^D
 
zinfamous said:
you mean like while you're swimming on the Mississippi or the Missouri river?

I'd say the river pirates and bull sharks have jurisdiction. Whichever gets to you first is what matters.
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Water belongs to the US government. The riverbed belongs to whatever state has jurisdiction. That'll vary depending on locale.
 
Okay, so what if you're standing right on the border, left leg in one state, right leg in another state, and you're holding a gun so that it's positioned directly above the border, and you shoot someone standing on the border. Which state has jurisdiction?

Or, what if you're standing in NY, and shoot someone who is standing in Pennsylvania? In which state did you commit the crime?


Oh, and to the OP - if you were speeding in NJ, and then speeding in NY, I wonder if BOTH states can give you a ticket?
 
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DrPizza said:
Okay, so what if you're standing right on the border, left leg in one state, right leg in another state, and you're holding a gun so that it's positioned directly above the border, and you shoot someone standing on the border. Which state has jurisdiction?

Or, what if you're standing in NY, and shoot someone who is standing in Pennsylvania? In which state did you commit the crime?
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I'd say PA, but the states would probably work it out amongst themselves where the trial would take place.
 
DrPizza said:
Okay, so what if you're standing right on the border, left leg in one state, right leg in another state, and you're holding a gun so that it's positioned directly above the border, and you shoot someone standing on the border. Which state has jurisdiction?

Or, what if you're standing in NY, and shoot someone who is standing in Pennsylvania? In which state did you commit the crime?


Oh, and to the OP - if you were speeding in NJ, and then speeding in NY, I wonder if BOTH states can give you a ticket?
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The feds would have jurisdiction. Crossing state lines it becomes a federal crime usually although I am sure they could defer to either state if they wanted.
 
If they are in pursuit, they can cross the border and pull you over or detain you. Though they radio in on the local cops to accompany them.
 
Raduque said:
It was implied that you believed there was a portion of bridge that existed between state lines.

Borders are not thick, they aren't measured in distance between states, they're just there. One second you're in NY, next second you're in NJ.

If you get pulled over on the NY side, it's a NY cop. If you get pulled over on the Jersey side, it's a Jersey cop. Simple. There is no "in between".
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no, the thread title clearly shows i'm asking WHO.
i've never seen a NY or NJ state trooper on the bridges. i have however seen lots of PA (port authority) police.
 
BlahBlahYouToo said:
no, the thread title clearly shows i'm asking WHO.
i've never seen a NY or NJ state trooper on the bridges. i have however seen lots of PA (port authority) police.
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In MD, it's the city that patrols I95 through Baltimore. Typically that's state cop jurisdiction. NJ/NY might be the same thing, but with specific highway cops.
 
The thing you have to worry about is if a cop shoots at you while in NY and passes through you while in NJ who gets to clean it up? 😉
 
BlahBlahYouToo said:
if i speed while crossing one of the bridges/tunnels connecting NY and NJ, who has the authority to pull me over? the PA police?

looking at google maps, it appears the state border is the midway point of the hudson river, but how will they make the determination of which state i'm in?
Click to expand...

There is no "in between". I grew up about 2 blocks from the GWB and I've been on it probably hundreds if not thousands of times. If you actually look for it, there is a spot roughly in the middle of the bridge designating where the NY/NJ border is. FWIW, as a practical matter, you generally don't see NY or NJ cops on the bridge. I honestly can't recall if they could pull you over on the bridge or not, but I don't know if they'd even be there if they weren't already in pursuit. Port Authority PD is the appropriate agency for handling that sort of thing generally.
 
DrPizza said:
Okay, so what if you're standing right on the border, left leg in one state, right leg in another state, and you're holding a gun so that it's positioned directly above the border, and you shoot someone standing on the border. Which state has jurisdiction?

Or, what if you're standing in NY, and shoot someone who is standing in Pennsylvania? In which state did you commit the crime?


Oh, and to the OP - if you were speeding in NJ, and then speeding in NY, I wonder if BOTH states can give you a ticket?
Click to expand...

These are easy. If you commit a crime in a state you can be charged there. If you're in two states, you can be charged in both. If you commit a crime in State A and the crime itself occurs in State B, you can be charged in both.

If you're standing on the NJ side of the Hudson with a rifle, shoot someone on the NY side and kill them, you may be charged in NY, NJ, AND in the Federal court system. Also, I doubt any court would consider "on the border" to be neither state, they'd more likely say that it's both if they can't determine one or the other.
 
DrPizza said:
Okay, so what if you're standing right on the border, left leg in one state, right leg in another state, and you're holding a gun so that it's positioned directly above the border, and you shoot someone standing on the border. Which state has jurisdiction?
Click to expand...

Then it's the FBI and you go to FPMITAP instead of SPMITAP.
 
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