Here you can kill without going to prison
Killing with impunity? As crazy as it may sound, there is a place in the USA where crime goes unpunished.
French media outlet Demotivateur reports this piece of news. Nestled in the heart of Yellowstone National Park in the USA is a 130 km² area known as “The Zone of Death” that does not fall under any jurisdiction. An isolated spot that allows any criminal to commit the irreparable without being prosecuted?
If you don't believe a word of it, ask Michigan State University law professor Brian C. Kalt. In several articles, dating back to 2005, the professor asserts that this zone doesn't comply with any laws. But how is this possible?
First, it's important to note that Yellowstone Park covers three states: Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. Under U.S. law, “the only jurisdiction over the entire park is the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming”. Furthermore, the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that “in all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall have the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury of the state and district where the crime was committed”. And since the park spans three states...which one would intervene in the event of a crime? This is precisely where the legal loophole occurs.
If a person wished to commit a crime in an uninhabited part of the park in Idaho, he or she would enjoy criminal immunity. Since the “Idaho” area of the park has no courthouse and is uninhabited, no constitutionally-compliant jury can be empaneled. Thus, the accused, not being able to receive a fair trial, could not effectively be prosecuted for a crime", says Brian C.Kalt.
But before dark minds think of reenacting a How To Get Away with Murder episode, they should know that this part of the country is teeming with dangerous wildlife. What's more, the loophole has already been tested by a certain Michael Belderrain in 2005. This poacher had illegally killed an elk. His attempt to use “The Zone of Death” argument in court was rejected, and he was finally tried in Wyoming District Court.
(AsD - Source: Demotivateur - Photo: Unsplash)
