Opinion ID: 781722
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Counts Thirteen and Fourteen

Text: 47 Counts Thirteen and Fourteen charged Yousef, Murad and Shah with violating 18 U.S.C. § 32(a). Count Thirteen alleged that they attempted to damage aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States and civil aircraft operated in foreign air commerce, in violation of § 32(a)(1) and (7). Count Fourteen charged them with violating § 32(a)(2) and (7) by attempting to place a bomb on such aircraft in Count Fourteen. 48 Section 32(a)(1) prohibits damaging any aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States or any civil aircraft used, operated, or employed in interstate, overseas, or foreign air commerce. Section 32(a)(2) makes it a crime to place a destructive device on board any such aircraft if it would be likely to endanger the aircraft's safety. Section 32(a)(7) prohibits an attempt or conspiracy to do anything forbidden under § 32(a). 49 The text of the applicable federal statutes makes it clear that Congress intended § 32(a) to apply extraterritorially. Under 49 U.S.C. § 46501(2)(A) the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States is defined to include any civil aircraft of the United States while that aircraft is in flight. Civil aircraft of the United States, in turn, is defined in 49 U.S.C. § 40102(a)(17) as an aircraft registered under Chapter 441 of Title 49, which requires registration of any United States-flag aircraft. See 49 U.S.C. §§ 44101-44103. Accordingly, § 32(a) covers any United States-flag aircraft while in flight, wherever in the world it may be. In addition, Congress defined foreign air commerce to cover the transportation of passengers or property by aircraft ... between a place in the United States and a place outside the United States. 49 U.S.C. § 40102(a)(22). 18 50 The District Court was correct to hold that the twelve aircraft targeted in the instant case fell within one or another category of craft protected by United States law. The relevant aircraft were all United States-flag aircraft targeted while in flight, and were therefore in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. 18 U.S.C. § 32(a)(1). Furthermore, all but one of the aircraft targeted in the conspiracy charged in Counts Thirteen and Fourteen were civil aircraft carrying passengers destined for the United States, 19 and were therefore civil aircraft used, operated, or employed in ... overseas, or foreign air commerce. 18 U.S.C. § 32(a)(1); see also 49 U.S.C. § 40102(a)(22) (defining foreign air commerce as the transportation of passengers or property by aircraft for compensation ... between a place in the United States and a place outside the United States when any part of the transportation or operation is by aircraft). Accordingly, it was proper for the District Court to exercise jurisdiction over the extraterritorial crimes charged in Counts Thirteen and Fourteen.