United States v. Lue
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
134 F.3d 79 (1998)
- Written by Rich Walter, JD
Facts
Wang Kun Lue and Chen De Yian (defendants) attempted to carry out an abduction in New York City and hold the victim for ransom. The federal government prosecuted the pair in district court for violating the Hostage Taking Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1203 (statute). The statute applied only to crimes committed by foreign nationals such as Lue and Chen. The statute implemented and largely tracked the provisions of an international treaty that declared hostage taking to be a grave offense related to international terrorism. Chen conditionally pleaded guilty but challenged the statute’s constitutionality. Chen argued that the statute implemented a treaty that improperly extended to domestic crimes unrelated to international terrorism, that those domestic crimes were matters of state rather than federal concern, and that the statute improperly discriminated against foreign nationals. The district court rejected these arguments and upheld the statute’s constitutionality. Chen appealed to the Second Circuit.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Walker, J.)
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