18 U.S.C. § 3041
Section 3041 · Power of courts and magistrates
Amended 5 times on record
Applied in 113 court decisions — leading case Stack v. Boyle (1952)
Most recently applied in United States v. Rangel (March 2018)
Cases citing this section usually also cite 18 U.S.C. § 3501 · 18 U.S.C. § 3142 · 21 U.S.C. § 841
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.
For any offense against the United States, the offender may, by any justice or judge of the United States, or by any United States magistrate judge, or by any chancellor, judge of a supreme or superior court, chief or first judge of the common pleas, mayor of a city, justice of the peace, or other magistrate, of any state where the offender may be found, and at the expense of the United States, be arrested and imprisoned or released as provided in chapter 207 of this title, as the case may be, for trial before such court of the United States as by law has cognizance of the offense. Copies of the process shall be returned as speedily as may be into the office of the clerk of such court, together with the recognizances of the witnesses for their appearances to testify in the case.
A United States judge or magistrate judge shall proceed under this section according to rules promulgated by the Supreme Court of the United States. Any state judge or magistrate acting hereunder may proceed according to the usual mode of procedure of his state but his acts and orders shall have no effect beyond determining, pursuant to the provisions of section 3142 of this title, whether to detain or conditionally release the prisoner prior to trial or to discharge him from arrest.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §591 (R.S. §1014; May 28, 1896, ch. 252, §19, 29 Stat. 184; Mar. 2, 1901, ch. 814, 31 Stat. 956).
This section was completely rewritten to omit all provisions superseded by Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, rules 3, 4, 5, 40 and 54(a) which prescribed the procedure for preliminary proceedings and examinations before United States judges and commissioners and for removal proceedings but not for preliminary examinations before State magistrates.
Amendments
1984—Pub. L. 98–473 substituted “determining, pursuant to the provisions of section 3142 of this title, whether to detain or conditionally release the prisoner prior to trial” for “determining to hold the prisoner for trial”.
1968—Pub. L. 90–578 substituted “United States magistrate” and “magistrate” for “United States commissioner” and “commissioner”, respectively.
1966—Pub. L. 89–465 substituted “or released as provided in chapter 207 of this title” for “or bailed”.
Change of Name
“United States magistrate judge” substituted for “United States magistrate” in text pursuant to section 321 of Pub. L. 101–650, set out as a note under section 631 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.
Effective Date of 1968 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 90–578 effective Oct. 17, 1968, except when a later effective date is applicable, which is the earlier of date when implementation of amendment by appointment of magistrates [now United States magistrate judges] and assumption of office takes place or third anniversary of enactment of Pub. L. 90–578 on Oct. 17, 1968, see section 403 of Pub. L. 90–578, set out as a note under section 631 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.
Effective Date of 1966 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 89–465 effective ninety days after June 22, 1966, see section 6 of Pub. L. 89–465, set out as an Effective Date note under section 3146 of this title.