Which Cases Become Federal Cases and Which Become State Cases?

(The content below was transcribed from an interview done with Acacia Law. We think you'll find it much easier
and more enjoyable to read this way.)

Interviewer: So we'll start on general federal cases. So what types of cases tend to become federal offenses and which ones stay as state offenses?

In Tucson, Arizona, Cases Concerning Immigration Are Handled in the Federal Court

Acacia Law: Well, in Tucson, in this district, a large number of the cases that are handled through this district court are immigration offenses. So the cases concern either people who are being smuggled into the country or people who are crossing the border illegally or engaging in human smuggling.

Interviewer: Would all those crimes automatically be federal cases and not state?

Acacia Law: Down here they're definitely handled by the federal government.

Drug-Related Cases that Occur Within the Border Are Handled in Federal Court

Interviewer: What other kinds of crimes that people may not be aware of tend to be handled by the federal government instead of state?

Acacia Law: The majority of the drug cases that occur within the border area. For example, on I-19 between Tucson and Nogales, there's a Border Patrol checkpoint. In most of those drug-related cases, those people are cited or prosecuted in federal court. There are other various border checkpoints in Southern Arizona and those cases tend to go into federal court.