But in the past decade, certain federal districts have begun applying it to more routine robberies. The government will try to prove that, by robbing the convenience store and shooting Lee, Battle interfered in interstate commerce. By making a federal case, law enforcement can wield more muscle. Not only can federal prosecutors call on resources such as the FBI to assist in the investigation, defendants face stiffer punishment if convicted. Battle, for example, faces life in prison if convicted.
Federal prison makes no provision for parole.
In state court, even if sentenced to life, he could become eligible for parole in as few as 15 years. Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston said state and federal officials in Wichita have collaborated for a dozen years, trying to determine where cases might best be tried. Foulston and U.S. Attorney Jackie Williams work with the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force, a collection of local, state and federal law investigators, to determine how cases will proceed. Foulston said state and federal authorities have no written procedure to determine where to file charges. Shortly after his arrest by the FBI Task Force, Battle confessed to shooting Lee, a popular storekeeper among neighbors near the area of 21st and Hillside.