33 U.S.C. § 391 — Summary trials authorized

submitted 78 years ago by Congress to r/title-33-NAVIGATION-AND-NAVIGABLE-WATERS · 143 words · no verdicts yet

in plain englishAI-generated · not legal advice

If someone complains that a ship's officer or crew member committed a federal offense, the attorney must investigate. If the case fits a summary trial, the attorney reports it to the district judge. The judge must then promptly try the case, holding a special session if needed.

If someone complains that a master, officer, or crew member of a vessel owned wholly or partly by a U.S. citizen has committed an offense against a U.S. law protecting people or property in commerce or navigation — as long as it isn't a capital or otherwise serious offense — the United States attorney must investigate the complaint and its general nature. If, in the attorney's judgment, the case is one that should be tried summarily, the attorney must report it to the district judge. The judge must then move forward with the trial right away, or as soon as the court's regular business allows, and may hold a special session of the court — during the regular term or otherwise — if that's needed to do so.

the actual law source: uscode.house.gov ↗public domain

Whenever a complaint shall be made against any master, officer, or seaman of any vessel belonging, in whole or in part, to any citizen of the United States, of the commission of any offense, not capital or otherwise infamous, against any law of the United States made for the protection of persons or property engaged in commerce or navigation, it shall be the duty of the United States attorney to investigate the same, and the general nature thereof, and if, in his opinion, the case is such as should be summarily tried, he shall report the same to the district judge, and the judge shall forthwith, or as soon as the ordinary business of the court will permit, proceed to try the cause, and for that purpose may, if necessary, hold a special session of the court, either in term time or vacation.

Source credit: (R.S. § 4300; June 25, 1948, ch. 646, § 1, 62 Stat. 909.)

history & why it existsrecord from the source credit

1948Enacted · Act of June 25, 1948, ch. 646 · 62 Stat. 909

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