Articles Tagged with personal jurisdiction

Within the State of California, domestic violence law is fairly straightforward, as is the process for arresting and charging someone with domestic battery or another domestic violence crime. But what happens if the victim or the assailant is from another state? What if the offense occurred against a California resident while in another state, or if a partner crosses into California to threaten or attack the victim? Or what if the crime itself crosses state lines (for example, if it involves kidnapping)?

These issues make jurisdiction a bit more complicated, but there are no real “loopholes” where an alleged perpetrator can avoid prosecution because of where the crime occurred. Let’s discuss some basic examples in which a domestic violence case might involve more than one state, and how each scenario might be handled.

If the Act of Violence Occurs in Another State