Thomas Sumner, a U.S. citizen from Minnesota, was accused of murder while he was in St. Petersburg, Russia. Sumner claimed that only the district court of Minnesota can try him for murder. Russia disagrees. The _____ invalidates Sumner's claim.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The territorial principle is the idea that a state has jurisdiction over crimes committed within its borders. In this case, since the alleged murder occurred in Russia, the Russian courts have jurisdiction to try Sumner regardless of his claim that only the district court of Minnesota can try him for the crime. The nationality jurisdiction principle (A) applies only in certain circumstances where a person commits a crime against their own country's interests, and blue sky (B), stare decisis (D), and res judicata (E) are unrelated to jurisdiction in criminal cases.