Prompt Cast
The "Zone of Death" in Yellowstone National Park: A Loophole in the U.S. Constitution
TLDR Due to a loophole in the U.S. Constitution, crimes committed in the Idaho section of Yellowstone National Park fall under federal jurisdiction rather than state jurisdiction, making it impossible to assemble a jury that meets the constitutional requirements and potentially allowing criminals to get away with murder. Legislation could easily solve the issue, but Congress has yet to take action.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
There is a place in the United States where, theoretically, you could get away with murder due to a loophole in the U.S. Constitution.
01:41
The Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to a trial by jury, with the jury consisting of people who live in the state and district where the crime was committed, but there is one exception to this rule in the Wyoming Federal District Court.
03:15
Yellowstone National Park is primarily located in Wyoming, but also extends into Montana and Idaho, creating a unique situation where crimes committed in the park fall under federal jurisdiction rather than state jurisdiction, and require a jury from both the Wyoming Federal District and the state where the crime occurred.
04:51
If a crime were to be committed in the Idaho section of Yellowstone National Park, it would be impossible to assemble a jury that meets the constitutional requirements, making it impossible to convict someone who committed a crime in this area.
06:22
Crimes like murder and poaching are still illegal in the zone of death, but in the event that an actual crime were to be committed, it's likely that the judge in the case would just find some way around it.
07:50
Legislation could easily solve the issue by declaring that the sections of the park in Idaho and Montana are part of their respective federal district courts, but Congress has yet to take action despite the lack of opposition.
09:10
The zone of death loophole is an unintended consequence of putting all of Yellowstone Park under the same jurisdiction, and until it is closed, committing federal crimes in the wilderness of Idaho is a bad idea.
