Murder committed in national forest in Oklahoma falls within federal jurisdiction

JURISDICTION United States v. Fields, No. 05-7128, ___ F.3d ___ (10th Cir. Feb. 25, 2008)(E.D. Oklahoma). Appeal of conviction and sentence for first-degree murder in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1111. HELD: Federal territorial jurisdiction over double-murder committed in Ouachita National Forest in Oklahoma was proper. Congress's extension of federal criminal authority to all lands over which the United States has concurrent jurisdiction in 18 U.S.C. § 7(3), and its explicit application of the murder statute to this same range of lands in 18 U.S.C. § 1111(b), did not exceed territorial jurisdiction ceded by Oklahoma to federal government over property acquired as national forest land. Read the opinion here.