Federal Kidnapping Act

Federal Kidnapping Act

Following the historic Lindbergh kidnapping (the abduction and murder of Charles Lindbergh's toddler son), the United States Congress adopted a federal kidnapping statute—popularly known as the Federal Kidnapping Act UnitedStatesCode|18|1201(a)(1) (also known as the Lindbergh Law, or Little Lindbergh Law) — which was intended to let federal authorities step in and pursue kidnappers once they had crossed a state border with their victim.

The theory behind the Lindbergh Law was that federal law enforcement intervention was needed because state and local law enforcement officers could not effectively pursue kidnappers across state borders. Since federal law enforcement officers, such as FBI agents, have national enforcement authority, Congress believed they could do a much more effective job of dealing with kidnappings than could state and local authorities.

Several states implemented their own versions of this law, known as "Little Lindbergh" laws, covering acts of kidnapping that did not cross state lines. In some states, if the victim was physically harmed in any manner, the crime qualified for the death penalty. This was what occurred in the Caryl Chessman case in California. Following the death penalty law revisions by the United States Supreme Court during the 1970s, kidnapping alone no longer constitutes a capital offense.

A provision of the law provides exception for parents who abduct their own minor children. (Also see United States v. Sheek).


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • kidnapping — At common law, the forcible abduction or stealing and carrying away of a person from own country to another. 4 Bl.Comm. 219. Collier v. Vaccaro, C.C.A.Md., 51 F.2d 17, 19; State v. Berry, 200 Wash. 495, 93 P.2d 782, 787, 792. The unlawful seizure …   Black's law dictionary

  • kidnapping — At common law, the forcible abduction or stealing and carrying away of a person from own country to another. 4 Bl.Comm. 219. Collier v. Vaccaro, C.C.A.Md., 51 F.2d 17, 19; State v. Berry, 200 Wash. 495, 93 P.2d 782, 787, 792. The unlawful seizure …   Black's law dictionary

  • Lindbergh kidnapping — Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr. Born June 22, 1930(1930 06 22) Englewood Bergen, New Jersey Died March 1, 1932(1932 03 01) (aged 1) Hopewell, New Jersey …   Wikipedia

  • kidnapping — kid·nap·ping or kid·nap·ing n: an act or instance or the crime of seizing, confining, inveigling, abducting, or carrying away a person by force or fraud often with a demand for ransom or in furtherance of another crime Merriam Webster’s… …   Law dictionary

  • Kidnapping — In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or asportation of a person against the person s will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority. This is often done for ransom or in furtherance of… …   Wikipedia

  • Federal Correctional Institution, Milan — Infobox Company company name = Federal Correctional Institution, Milan|100px company company type = Federal Prison key people = C. Ike Eichenlaub, Warden foundation = 1933 location = Milan, Michigan (P.O. Box 9999 Milan, MI 48160) homepage =… …   Wikipedia

  • Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act — Federal law which imposes a duty on the states to enforce a child custody determination entered by a court of a sister state if the determination is consistent with provisions of the Act. 28 U.S.C.A. No. 1738A …   Black's law dictionary

  • Lindbergh Act — Federal law which punishes kidnapping for ransom or reward when the victim is transported from one state to another or to a foreign country. The failure to release the victim within 24 hours creates a rebuttable presumption that such person has… …   Black's law dictionary

  • Lindbergh Act — Federal law which punishes kidnapping for ransom or reward when the victim is transported from one state to another or to a foreign country. The failure to release the victim within 24 hours creates a rebuttable presumption that such person has… …   Black's law dictionary

  • Capital punishment by the United States federal government — This is a list of individuals executed by the United States. The United States federal government (in comparison to the separate states) applies the death penalty for certain crimes: treason, espionage, federal murder, large scale drug… …   Wikipedia

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