18 U.S.C. § 3242
Section 3242 · Indians committing certain offenses; acts on reservations
Amended 4 times on record
Applied in 21 court decisions — leading case United States v. Iron Shell (1980)
Most recently applied in Murphy v. Royal (November 2017)
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.
All Indians committing any offense listed in the first paragraph of and punishable under section 1153 (relating to offenses committed within Indian country) of this title shall be tried in the same courts and in the same manner as are all other persons committing such offense within the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States.
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., §548 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, §328, 35 Stat. 1151; June 1932, ch. 284, 47 Stat. 337).
The provisions defining rape in accordance with the law of the State and prescribing imprisonment at the discretion of the court for rape by an Indian upon an Indian are now included in section 1153 of this title. (See also section 6 of this title.)
Section 549 of said title 18, relating to crimes in Indian reservations in South Dakota, was omitted as covered by section 1153 of this title. Accordingly the last sentence of said section 548, extending this section to prosecutions of Indians in South Dakota, was also omitted as unnecessary because this section is sufficient and applicable. Other provisions of said section 548 are incorporated in sections 1151 and 1153 of this title.
Minor changes were made in phraseology.
1949 Act
This section [section 51] conforms section 3242 of title 18, U.S.C., with sections 1151 and 1153 of such title, thus eliminating inconsistency and ambiguity with respect to the definition of Indian country.
Amendments
1976—Pub. L. 94–297 substituted provision setting out reference to offenses listed in first paragraph of and punishable under section 1153 of this title, for provision specifically enumerating the covered offenses.
1966—Pub. L. 89–707 added carnal knowledge and assault with intent to commit rape as offenses cognizable within the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States when committed on and within the Indian country.
1949—Act May 24, 1949, substituted “within the Indian country” for “within any Indian reservation, including rights-of-way running through the reservation,”.
Cross References
Offenses committed within Indian country, see section 1153 of this title.