What happens if an American commits a crime in another country?

Question

How are they treated? Any stories, anecdotes?

Answer 1

Depends on the country and the crime. Lots of non European countries have very strict narcotics laws and lots of Americans go to jail in those countries for what would get probation here.

Each country has their own laws and the people may have more or less rights than in the US.  No country has an exclusionary rule like the US. If the police find something it will not get thrown out just because the search was illegal. The officer will get disciplined but the evidence stays.

Countries that are members of certain Geneva conventions, will notify the nearest US counsel when a US citizen is arrested.  The US counsel does little except help the arrestee do things like find a local lawyer and perhaps transfer funds to pay fines.

Answer 2

They serve the require punishment.

Answer 3

The first thing that they need to remember is that they are not in America, so that the rights that they normally would have here are not happening there.  They are not going to have it as easy as they would here, meaning getting treated as they would here.  Where they are presumed innocent until prove guilty.

Most countries consider a person guilty until they prove them self innocent.  So that they are going to want to send the person to jail/prison if they can for what ever crime they committed.  Their justice system is going to be way different than ours will ever be, it will probably be a harder to get them to listen to the person.

Things that they normally would have a right to have here may not apply in another country like they would here.  Things as simple as a phone call.  Or even the right to bail out of jail while they are waiting for a trail, may not happen in another country.

They wouldn't after all be in America any longer so the laws would be way different.  They would need to hire a good lawyer and hope that they could prove them self innocent.

Example:  This was a true story that was made into a movie.  This woman was in a forien country.  She bought like three shrunken heads as soveniers.  When she was leaving the county they asked her if she had any thing to declair, she said no.  When they looked through her things they accused her of smuggling these items.  They took her and put her in Jail.  It took her months to even get bailed out, all the while she sat in jail.  They kept postpoing her trial.  Long story short she skipped the country but not with out a lot of problems before doing so.  Later that country decided that she really hadn't done any thing at all, but that she was just ignorant of their laws where it was a crime to take those things out of the country.  She thought that she was going to go to prison for years.

Answer 4

Depends on the crime and the country. Just keep in mind, that many foreigners would rather be in an USA jail than free to walk the streets in their own country.

Answer 5

You are subject to the laws, arrest procedures, court procedures and punishments in that country.

It's never good to get arrested anywhere, but it would likely be better in Canada or England for an American than in Iran or China.

Answer 6

Unless you are a United States Government Diplomat, you are subject to the laws of the country you are in.  That means you will be held, tried, and serve the sentence of anyone in that country.  

Remember though, that a lot of other countries do not like Americans and you might get rough treatment while in custody.  There are numerous reports (some verified, some not) of American prisoners beaten, raped, and killed in foreign prisons while doing time on traffic charges.

Answer 7

All of the above are essentially correct.  When you are in a foriegn country...be on your best behavior

Answer 8

A german got kidnapped and tortured by CIA agents for months

Al-Masri is his name

the USA rejected to give those agents to germany for justice

Answer 9

If you commit a crime (any crime) in another country you are arrested, charged and tried like any other citizen of that country.  Your home country will rarely step in on your behalf other than with the very basics (a local lawyer, wiring funds, notifying family at home).  You are not given special privileges or consideration.  In fact because you are a foreigner you may find that life is made even more difficult for you because you have not repected their laws and ways.  

Do a google search and look up Brenda Martin to see what I mean.  Laws for drug trafficking in foreign countries are far more strict than those found in Canada and the U.S. and the penalties are much more severe.  In Singapore a U.S. youth (1994) was caned for writing graffiti.  

In many countries you are assumed guilty until you prove your innocence unlike here in Canada and in the States.  Never make the mistake that just because you are a foreigner that you have some sort of diplomatic immunity or that you are still on native soil.  You aren't!  You are in a completely different country, with different values and different laws.

Answer 10

You have no rights as an AMerican and they can do as they please and never let you out.  People try this with a little bit of pot and ......it is more serious then commiting murder is some countries,and you will be beaten and all kinds of stuff.  Its been on 20-20 dateline etc

Answer 11

They get punished according to other countries law. One country caned a US citizen

Answer 12

You are charged by their laws.

Answer 13

They take the punishment from that country while our government sits on their hands and does nothing.

Answer 14

While in a foreign country, you are subject to the laws of that country.  You must go through the local criminal justice system.

Under the Vienna convention, you have the right to contact your local US embassy.  The embassy can provide resources such as lists of lawyers, help you contact your family, etc.  But they cannot provide legal representation.

Answer 15

Unless you are a diplomat and have diplomatic immunity, you will be sent to trial in that country and if found guilty and it was a serious offence you will be sent to jail in that country. For some countries you may spend a little time in jail and then sent back to the states to finish the remainder of your jail sentence. In other countries you are stuck until you serve your sentence.