Does the prosecution have the power to file a charge under both the Criminal Code and the Criminal Prosecution Service Code when more than one statute prohibits the conduct in question?

MultiRegion, United States of America

The following excerpt is from United States v. Thomsen, 830 F.3d 1049 (9th Cir. 2016):

It is true, as the government argues, that the prosecution has the discretion to decide what charge to file when more than one statute prohibits the conduct in question. United States v. Batchelder , 442 U.S. 114, 12324, 99 S.Ct. 2198, 60 L.Ed.2d 755 (1979) (This Court has long recognized that when an act violates more than one criminal statute, the Government may prosecute under either so long as it does not discriminate against any class of defendants.); accord United States v. Maes , 546 F.3d 1066, 1068 (9th Cir. 2008). That argument strikes us as beside the point, however, in the context of a group of related statutes, where it would be particularly odd to construe two provisions to state duplicate prohibitions on some of the same conduct involving some of the same documents.

Other Questions


What is the test for a defendant to be found guilty of a series of criminal charges under New York State Public Prosecutions for failing to comply with the requirements of the Criminal Prosecution Service? ("New York", United States of America)
Is there a due process violation in permitting a prosecutor to elect to prosecute under either the Criminal Code or the Criminal Prosecution Service Act? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
Is there any case law that supports the argument that a defendant was punished for successfully severing the unrelated criminal charges from two separate criminal charges? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
In what circumstances will a defendant be charged with a criminal charge if he and his codefendants were arrested in the same criminal investigation? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
Can a juvenile court after a hearing transfer a case for criminal prosecution to adult criminal prosecution? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
Can restitution be ordered only for the criminal conviction for the same criminal offence for which the criminal charges were dismissed? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
When counting criminal convictions for career offender purposes under section 4A1.2 of the Criminal Code, is the criminal conviction of a career offender included in the criminal record calculation? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
Is a minor criminal offence included in the criminal history of a defendant in the Criminal History of the Criminal Code? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
What is the test for determining whether a defendant has a criminal history of criminal conduct under the Montana Criminal Code? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
Can a prosecuting officer be held liable in a civil action for allegedly conspiring to get himself appointed as a prosecutor to commit a criminal offence in order to bring a criminal charge against himself? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
X



Alexi white


"The most advanced legal research software ever built."

Trusted by top litigators from across North America.