Cases that are entirely based on state law may be brought in federal court under the court’s “diversity jurisdiction.” Diversity jurisdiction allows a plaintiff of one state to file a lawsuit in federal court when the defendant is located in a different state.

Article III, section 2, of the Constitution distributes the federal judicial power between the Supreme Court’s appellate and original jurisdiction, providing that the Supreme Court shall have original jurisdiction in “all cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls,” and in cases to which a state is …

While the jurisdiction of state courts are limited by their boundaries, the federal court system covers the entire nation. Federal courts also have “exclusive” subject matter jurisdiction over copyright cases, admiralty cases, lawsuits involving the military, immigration laws, and bankruptcy proceedings.

Another significant difference between state and federal felonies is that federal felonies are often more serious than offenses charged by state courts. The penalties associated with federal crimes are often more severe than those that a person would receive after being sentenced by state courts.

A crime becomes a federal offense when it violates United States federal law or multiple states’ laws. Crimes such as wire fraud, commercial fraud, or drug trafficking, for example, are often charged under the federal government.

Potential penalties of breaking federal labor laws Employers can face severe penalties and fines for violating federal labor laws. Employers may even be required to pay an employee back pay. If the employee was fired for wrongful reasons, the employer may have to reinstate that person as an employee.

The Most Common Crimes Drug offenses were the most common federal crimes in fiscal year 2016. Most of the 21,387 drug cases involved the manufacture, sale, or transportation of a drug,8 while 1,884 of those cases involved a conviction for the simple possession of a drug.

According to best estimates—and estimates are all we have—there are about 4,500 federal crimes in the United States Code, and more than 300,000 federal crimes dispersed throughout federal regulations.

Laws vs agency rules and regulations. Table compiled by author. Looking back, there have been 88,899 federal rules and regulations since 1995 through December 2016, as the chart shows; but “only” 4,312 laws. Another 2,419 proposed rules were in play at year-end 2016.

Federal offenses are prosecuted by government agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and can often carry penalties that are far more severe than those levied by state courts. If you’re under investigation by a federal agency or have already been indicted on federal charges, your future may be at stake.

Immigration offenses