If you commit a crime on the border of two different countries, which will you be charged in?
<p>If you commit a crime on the border of two different countries*, which will you be charged in?</p>

<p>In addition, for the sake of argument:</p>

<ul>
<li>Both countries want to separately trial the criminal</li>
<li>The criminal is a citizen of both countries**</li>
<li>The police of both countries appear at the same time</li>
<li>The suspect stays on the border after committing the crime.</li>
<li>The criminal act is illegal in both countries, but the sentences are different.</li>
</ul>

<hr>

<ul>
<li>The countries hate each other</li>
<li>It is not a crime against humanity - just a violent crime such as a murder.</li>
</ul>

<p><sub>*technically, jurisdictions, but then it interferes with the wording of this question</sub></p>

<p><sub>**or, alternatively, the criminal is stateless</sub></p>

<p>The decision will be made by whichever country arrests him first (although a minority of countries allow for the trial of people who break their criminal laws in absentia). Needless to say, if nobody manages to arrest him ever, he will not face any criminal consequences except the issuance of an arrest warrant possibly accompanied by a pre-existing conviction in absentia if arrested in countries that allow for such a proceeding.</p>

<p>Normally, in these circumstances, either country would have jurisdiction under its own laws to prosecute and punish the criminal, and many extradition treaties would not require the extradition of someone who committed a crime punished domestically in the state in whose custody the criminal is as part of the same course of events. </p>

<p>Many countries will not extradite someone if they could face the death penalty in the receiving country. But, sometimes law enforcement in a country with a less serious penalty will intentionally defer to law enforcement in a country with a more serious penalty that is simultaneously trying to arrest him.</p>

<p>Ordinarily, law enforcement is not authorized to use deadly force to arrest someone who is simultaneously being arrested by law enforcement from another country against either the arrestee or the law enforcement from the other country. Indeed, using deadly force against another country's law enforcement officers who are carrying out a lawful arrest in their own country would ordinarily be considered an act of war. </p>

<p>U.S. double jeopardy provisions of the constitution do not prohibit a second prosecution of an offender in these circumstances because of a first prosecution by another sovereign, but many prosecutors in many countries would decline to prosecute someone a second time for the offense that they have already been convicted of in exercise of their discretion, and many judges would consider time served in another country for the same offense as a factor in setting their own sentence.</p>

<p>Assuming that the crime is of an international nature (e.g. a cybercrime), then there are a few things that may come into play: (and surprisingly, some of these things aren't law-focused)</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Extradition treaties</p>

<p>Do the countries like each other? Do they have an agreement to transfer criminals from country to country? Politics may come into play quite heavily here - the transfer of one to be prosecuted may involve a trade off, or some other agreement coming into play. Unless the countries have an extradition treaty, then it may be difficult.</p></li>
<li><p>International treaties</p>

<p>Is the crime a crime against humanity? If both countries recognize the authority of the <a href="https://www.icc-cpi.int" rel="nofollow">International Criminal Court</a>, then that court will be in charge of prosecuting the crime.</p></li>
<li><p>Constitutional law - the doctrine of "double jeopardy"</p>

<p>In some countries, there is often a doctrine of "double jeopardy" - that is, that you can not be prosecuted for the same crime twice. Because of this, it may be unconstitutional in one country for a person to be sent to another country, if they are going to be prosecuted again for that crime. Example: <a href="http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/const/page-15.html" rel="nofollow">&sect;11(h) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms</a></p></li>
<li><p>Constitutional law - any violation of rights.</p>

<p>By sending a person to another country, do we put them in a position where their constitutional rights of the first country are violated. </p>

<p>Not to sure how to explain this one, so I'm going to explain a real life situation. In Canada, the death penalty is unconstitutional. The United States, wanted Canada, under extradition treaties, wanted two people charged for murder, to be tried in the United States. This posed a constitutional problem: by sending these two people to the US, they may be subject to the death penalty. For Canada to extradite the two people to the US, they sought assurance that the death penalty would not be sought. If you want to learn more, see <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v_Burns" rel="nofollow">United States v Burns</a></p></li>
</ul>

<p>These are the most common things to consider. Do remember though, that there are many more.</p>

criminal-law jurisdiction