18 U.S.C. § 114
Section 114 · Maiming within maritime and territorial jurisdiction
Amended 6 times on record
Applied in 19 court decisions — leading case United States v. Sharpnack (1958)
Most recently applied in Michael Sharpe v. J.T. Shartle (August 2011)
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
Whoever, within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, and with intent to torture (as defined in section 2340), maim, or disfigure, cuts, bites, or slits the nose, ear, or lip, or cuts out or disables the tongue, or puts out or destroys an eye, or cuts off or disables a limb or any member of another person; or
Whoever, within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, and with like intent, throws or pours upon another person, any scalding water, corrosive acid, or caustic substance—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Historical and Revision Notes
1948 Act
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §462 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, §283, 35 Stat. 1144).
The words “within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, and” were added to preserve jurisdictional limitation provided for by section 451 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., now section 7 of this title. (See reviser's note thereunder.)
Changes in phraseology were made.
1949 Act
This section [section 3] corrects a typographical error in section 114 of title 18, U.S.C.
Amendments
1996—Pub. L. 104–132 substituted “torture (as defined in section 2340), maim, or disfigure” for “maim or disfigure”.
1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $25,000”.
1990—Pub. L. 101–647 substituted “or imprisoned” for “and imprisoned”.
1984—Pub. L. 98–473 substituted “and imprisoned” for “or imprisoned” and provisions raising maximum fine from $1,000 to $25,000 and raising maximum term of imprisonment from seven years to twenty years.
1949—Act May 24, 1949, corrected spelling of “maim”.
Cross References
Actions aboard aircraft in special aircraft jurisdiction of United States in violation of this section punishable as provided herein, see section 46506 of Title 49, Transportation.