Bill · H.R. 194· House(119-HR-194)
Venue Named Under Exception Act
- Introduced
- 1/3/2025
- Last activity
- 1/3/2025 — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Keith Self
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "VENUE Act," seeks to change how legal proceedings are handled for certain crimes. It specifically targets offenses committed on Federal Government property within the National Capital Region. Under this proposal, indictments would be filed in the district where the offender last resided or in the District of Columbia if no residence is known. Defendants would have the right to request a transfer of their case to the district where they live. However, this right to transfer is not available to defendants not domiciled in the United States.
Yes
Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts?+5
The bill grants defendants the right to request a transfer of their case to their home district, which may facilitate more convenient legal defense.
The opposite
Would immigrants be better off under this?-5
The bill explicitly denies the right to transfer cases to defendants who are not domiciled in the United States.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Transfer of Legal Proceedings: Under Section 2(b)(1), a district court must grant a motion from a defendant to transfer an indictment or information to the district where they are domiciled. This could be a benefit for individuals who wish to have their legal matters handled in their home district.
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Priority for Multiple Defendants: According to Section 2(b)(2), if multiple defendants ask for a transfer, the court must grant the motion of the defendant who filed it first. This provides a specific rule for handling multiple parties requesting the same move.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Restrictions on Non-U.S. Domiciled Defendants: Section 2(b)(3) states that a defendant who is not domiciled in the United States may not file a motion to transfer their case. This means individuals living outside the country would not have the same right to move their trial to their place of residence.
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Specific Scope of Application: Section 2(d) notes that these changes apply to any offense where a trial has not yet been scheduled as of the date the act is enacted, which limits the scope of who can benefit from these new rules.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Immigrants-5
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Due Process+5
- 1/3/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
Troy NehlsRepublican · Texas