Art. 13A.151 TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS, FALSE IMPRISONMENT, KIDNAPPING, AND SMUGGLING OF PERSONS

If someone is charged with human trafficking, false imprisonment, kidnapping, or smuggling people, the case doesn't have to be tried only where the crime started. Prosecutors have flexibility in choosing where to file charges because these crimes often involve moving a victim across different places.

The case can be tried in the county where the crime actually happened. It can also be tried in any county the victim passed through, was taken into, or was taken out of during the crime. This means if someone kidnaps a person in one county and drives them through two other counties before ending up in a fourth county, prosecutors could potentially bring charges in any of those four counties.

This rule exists because these types of crimes often cross county lines. Victims may be moved long distances, making it hard to pin down just one location for the case. Allowing multiple counties to have jurisdiction makes it easier to prosecute these serious crimes, no matter where the victim was taken during the offense.