The interstate compact for jurisdiction on the Colorado river is enacted into law as follows:

Terms Used In Arizona Laws 37-620.11

  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association or society, as well as a natural person. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.

Section I. Concurrent Jurisdiction

A. If conduct is prohibited by two adjoining party states, courts and law enforcement officers in either state who have jurisdiction over criminal offenses committed in a county where the Colorado river forms a common interstate boundary have concurrent jurisdiction to arrest, prosecute and try offenders for the prohibited conduct that is committed anywhere on the boundary water between the two states and concurrent jurisdiction to arrest offenders for prohibited conduct that is committed on any land mass within twenty-five air miles of the Colorado river or within twenty-five air miles of any lake that is formed by or is a part of the Colorado river.

B. This compact does not authorize:

1. Prosecution of any person for conduct which is lawful in the state where it was committed.

2. Any conduct prohibited by any party state.

Section II. Ratification

This compact is ratified by enactment of the language of this compact, or substantially similar language expressing the same purpose, by at least two states of which the Colorado river forms a common boundary.