The District Court of the Virgin Islands shall have jurisdiction of offenses under the laws of the United States, not locally inapplicable, committed within the territorial jurisdiction of such courts, and jurisdiction, concurrently with the district courts of the United States, of offenses against the laws of the United States committed upon the high seas.
June 25, 1948, ch. 64562 Stat. 827Pub. L. 85–508, § 12(i)72 Stat. 348Pub. L. 107–273, div. B, title IV, § 4004(e)116 Stat. 1812(, ; , , ; , , .)
Historical and Revision Notes
section 39 of title 50June 6, 1900, ch. 786, § 431 Stat. 322Aug. 24, 1912, ch. 387, § 337 Stat. 512June 15, 1917, ch. 3040 Stat. 231Mar. 2, 1921, ch. 11041 Stat. 1203June 22, 1936, ch. 699, § 2849 Stat. 1814Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 39, 574; sections 23, 101, 1406 of title 48, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Territories and Insular Possessions; , U.S.C., 1940 ed., War and National Defense (, ; , ; , title XIII, § 2, ; , ; , ).
section 39 of title 50Section consolidates portions of sections 39 and 574 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., with jurisdictional provisions of sections 23, 101, and 1406 of title 48, U.S.C., 1940 ed., and U.S.C., 1940 ed., with changes of phraseology necessary to effect consolidation.
section 574 of title 18The revised section simplifies and clarifies the Federal jurisdiction of the district courts of the Territories and Possessions. The enumeration of sections in , U.S.C., 1940 ed., was omitted as incomplete and misleading and the general language of the revised section was made applicable to the Canal Zone.
section 574 of title 18The phrase “the several courts of the first instance in the Philippine Islands” in , U.S.C., 1940 ed., was omitted as obsolete in view of the independence of the Commonwealth of the Philippines effective .
section 574 of title 18The last sentence of , U.S.C., 1940 ed., with reference to the powers of district attorneys was omitted as unnecessary and otherwise covered by sections 403 and 404 of title 22, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Foreign Relations and Intercourse.
section 39 of title 18section 5 of this titleDefinition of United States in , U.S.C., 1940 ed., is incorporated in .
Editorial Notes
Amendments
Pub. L. 107–2732002— struck out “United States District Court for the Canal Zone and the” after “The”.
Pub. L. 85–508section 81A of Title 281958— struck out provisions which related to the District Court for the Territory of Alaska. See , Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, which establishes a United States District Court for the State of Alaska.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 1958 Amendment
Pub. L. 85–508Pub. L. 85–508section 81A of Title 28section 21 of Title 48Amendment by effective , on admission of Alaska into the Union pursuant to Proc. No. 3269, , 24 F.R. 81, 73 Stat. c16, as required by sections 1 and 8(c) of , see notes set out under , Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, and preceding former , Territories and Insular Possessions.