
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 42USC1987]

 
                 TITLE 42--THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
 
                        CHAPTER 21--CIVIL RIGHTS
 
                         SUBCHAPTER I--GENERALLY
 
Sec. 1987. Prosecution of violation of certain laws

    The United States attorneys, marshals, and deputy marshals, the 
United States magistrate judges appointed by the district and 
territorial courts, with power to arrest, imprison, or bail offenders, 
and every other officer who is especially empowered by the President, 
are authorized and required, at the expense of the United States, to 
institute prosecutions against all persons violating any of the 
provisions of section 1990 of this title or of sections 5506 to 5516 and 
5518 to 5532 of the Revised Statutes, and to cause such persons to be 
arrested, and imprisoned or bailed, for trial before the court of the 
United States or the territorial court having cognizance of the offense.

(R.S. Sec. 1982; Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, Sec. 291, 36 Stat. 1167; June 
25, 1948, ch. 646, Sec. 1, 62 Stat. 909; Pub. L. 90-578, title IV, 
Sec. 402(b)(2), Oct. 17, 1968, 82 Stat. 1118; Pub. L. 101-650, title 
III, Sec. 321, Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5117.)

                       References in Text

    Sections 5506 to 5510, 5516 to 5519 and 5524 to 5535 of the Revised 
Statutes, referred to in text, were repealed by act Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 
321, Sec. 341, 35 Stat. 1153; section 5506, 5511 to 5515, and 5520 to 
5523, also referred to in text, were repealed by act Feb. 8, 1894, ch. 
25, Sec. 1, 28 Stat. 37. The provisions of sections 5508, 5510, 5516, 
5518 and 5524 to 5532 of the Revised Statutes were reenacted by act Mar. 
4, 1909, and classified to sections 51, 52, 54 to 59, 246, 428 and 443 
to 445 of former Title 18, Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure. Those 
sections were repealed and reenacted as sections 241, 242, 372, 592, 
593, 752, 1071, 1581, 1583 and 1588 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal 
Procedure, in the general revision of Title 18 by act June 25, 1948, ch. 
645, 62 Stat. 683.

                          Codification

    R.S. Sec. 1982 derived from acts Apr. 9, 1866, ch. 31, Sec. 4, 14 
Stat. 28; May 31, 1870, Ch. 114, Sec. 9, 16 Stat. 142.
    Section was formerly classified to section 49 of Title 8, Aliens and 
Nationality.

                         Change of Name

    Act June 25, 1948, eff. Sept. 1, 1948, substituted ``United States 
attorneys'' for ``district attorneys''. See section 541 of Title 28, 
Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, and Historical and Revision Notes 
thereunder.
    ``United States magistrate judges'' substituted in text for 
``magistrates'' pursuant to section 321 of Pub. L. 101-650, set out as a 
note under section 631 of Title 28. Previously, ``magistrates'' 
substituted for ``commissioners'' pursuant to Pub. L. 90-578. See 
chapter 43 (Sec. 631 et seq.) of Title 28.
    Reference to the district courts substituted for reference to the 
circuit courts on authority of section 291 of act Mar. 3, 1911.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 1989 of this title.
