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George Washington University Law School

2001

Comparative law

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The Intersection Of Two Systems: An American On Trial For An American Murder In The French Cour D'Assises, Renée Lettow Lerner Jan 2001

The Intersection Of Two Systems: An American On Trial For An American Murder In The French Cour D'Assises, Renée Lettow Lerner

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

This study discusses a murder case in France's trial court for the most serious crimes, the Cour d'assises. The case was highly unusual because the person on trial was an American, accused of having murdered other Americans in the United States. For reasons given below, cases in which crimes committed in the United States are tried abroad are likely to become more common. This study describes how such a case proceeds, including some of the difficulties that can arise from combining two investigations controlled by very different systems of procedure. An advice section is given for American prosecutors and defense …