A criminal suspect, a U.S. citizen, carried out a theft on the high seas aboard a foreign-registered vessel 50 miles off the coast of Florida. The vessel never entered U.S. waters during or after the alleged crime. Based on these facts, which jurisdiction is best suited for prosecuting the suspect under U.S. law?
Jurisdiction belongs to the foreign nation where the vessel is registered, as the crime took place aboard that nation's vessel.
The United States has jurisdiction because the suspect is a U.S. citizen and certain U.S. laws apply to crimes committed outside its borders.
Florida state courts have jurisdiction due to the proximity of the crime to the Florida coastline.
No court has jurisdiction because the ship was not in U.S. territorial waters at the time the crime occurred.
The correct answer explains jurisdiction under U.S. criminal law based on extraterritorial principles. U.S. courts may exercise jurisdiction over crimes committed outside territorial waters when the suspect is a U.S. citizen, based on statutory authority that extends jurisdiction to U.S. nationals. The other options are incorrect because they fail to consider the legal mechanisms that allow for extraterritorial prosecution, such as the nationality principle or specific federal statutes. For example, the foreign nation where the vessel is registered may have authority but does not automatically preclude U.S. jurisdiction. Similarly, Florida state courts have no jurisdiction because the crime occurred outside state boundaries and territorial waters.
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