People v. Mitchell

Significant questions relating to concurrent jurisdiction by State and Federal authorities over contraband seized during customs procedures conducted at Kennedy International Airport are raised by defendant’s pretrial motions. Basically, defendant protests the jurisdictional validity of State prosecution where possession of contraband drugs is revealed in a border search upon entry into the United States from a foreign jurisdiction. He contends that the customs inspection point, operated exclusively by the Federal Government, imposes a physical, legal and symbolic barrier preventing entry…