1994 US Code
Title 15 - COMMERCE AND TRADE
CHAPTER 2A - SECURITIES AND TRUST INDENTURES
SUBCHAPTER I - DOMESTIC SECURITIES
Sec. 77v - Jurisdiction of offenses and suits

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§77v. Jurisdiction of offenses and suits (a) Federal and State courts; venue; service of process; review; removal; costs

The district courts of the United States and the United States courts of any Territory shall have jurisdiction of offenses and violations under this subchapter and under the rules and regulations promulgated by the Commission in respect thereto, and, concurrent with State and Territorial courts, of all suits in equity and actions at law brought to enforce any liability or duty created by this subchapter. Any such suit or action may be brought in the district wherein the defendant is found or is an inhabitant or transacts business, or in the district where the offer or sale took place, if the defendant participated therein, and process in such cases may be served in any other district of which the defendant is an inhabitant or wherever the defendant may be found. Judgments and decrees so rendered shall be subject to review as provided in sections 1254, 1291, 1292, and 1294 of title 28. No case arising under this subchapter and brought in any State court of competent jurisdiction shall be removed to any court of the United States. No costs shall be assessed for or against the Commission in any proceeding under this subchapter brought by or against it in the Supreme Court or such other courts.

(b) Contumacy or refusal to obey subpena; contempt

In case of contumacy or refusal to obey a subpena issued to any person, any of the said United States courts, within the jurisdiction of which said person guilty of contumacy or refusal to obey is found or resides, upon application by the Commission may issue to such person an order requiring such person to appear before the Commission, or one of its examiners designated by it, there to produce documentary evidence if so ordered, or there to give evidence touching the matter in question; and any failure to obey such order of the court may be punished by said court as a contempt thereof.

(May 27, 1933, ch. 38, title I, §22, 48 Stat. 86; June 25, 1936, ch. 804, 49 Stat. 1921; June 25, 1948, ch. 646, §32(b), 62 Stat. 991; May 24, 1949, ch. 139, §127, 63 Stat. 107; Aug. 10, 1954, ch. 667, title I, §11, 68 Stat. 686; Oct. 15, 1970, Pub. L. 91–452, title II, §213, 84 Stat. 929; Dec. 4, 1987, Pub. L. 100–181, title II, §209, 101 Stat. 1253.)

Codification

As originally enacted subsec. (a) contained references to the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia. Act June 25, 1936, substituted “the district court of the United States for the District of Columbia” for “the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia”, and act June 25, 1948, as amended by act May 24, 1949, substituted “United States District Court for the District of Columbia” for “district court of the United States for the District of Columbia”. Pub. L. 100–181 struck out reference to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Previously, such reference had been editorially eliminated as superfluous in view of section 132(a) of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, which provides that “There shall be in each judicial district a district court which shall be a court of record known as the United States District Court for the district”, and section 88 of Title 28 which provides that “the District of Columbia constitutes one judicial district”.

Amendments

1987—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–181 substituted “United States and” for “United States, the”, struck out “, and the United States District Court for the District of Columbia” after “Territory”, and substituted “sections 1254, 1291, 1292, and 1294 of title 28” for “sections 128 and 240 of the Judicial Code, as amended (U.S.C., title 28, secs. 225 and 347)”. See Codification note above.

1970—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 91–452 struck out subsec. (c) which related to immunity from prosecution of any individual compelled to testify or produce evidence, documentary or otherwise, after claiming his privilege against self-incrimination.

1954—Subsec. (a). Act Aug. 10, 1954, inserted “offer or” before “sale” in second sentence.

Effective Date of 1970 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 91–452 effective on sixtieth day following Oct. 15, 1970, see section 260 of Pub. L. 91–452, set out as an Effective Date; Savings Provision note under section 6001 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure.

Effective Date of 1954 Amendment

Amendment by act Aug. 10, 1954, effective 60 days after Aug. 10, 1954, see note under section 77b of this title.

Savings Provision

Amendment by Pub. L. 91–452 not to affect any immunity to which any individual is entitled under this section by reason of any testimony given before the sixtieth day following Oct. 15, 1970, see section 260 of Pub. L. 91–452, set out as an Effective Date; Savings Provision note under section 6001 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure.

Transfer of Functions

For transfer of functions of Securities and Exchange Commission, with certain exceptions, to Chairman of such Commission, see Reorg. Plan No. 10 of 1950, §§1, 2, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3175, 64 Stat. 1265, set out under section 78d of this title.

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure

Costs, see rule 54, Title 28, Appendix, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.

One form of action, see rule 2.

Process, see rule 4.

Subpoena, see rule 45.

Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure

Criminal contempts, see rule 42, Title 18, Appendix, Crimes and Criminal Procedure.

Subpoena, see rule 17.

Cross References

Contempt proceedings, see sections 401, 402, 3285, and 3691 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure.

Enforcement of subpenas and immunity of witnesses under—

Federal criminal procedure, generally, see section 6001 et seq. of Title 18.

Investment Advisers Act of 1940, see section 80b–9 of this title.

Investment Company Act of 1940, see section 80a–41 of this title.

Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, see section 79r of this title.

Securities Exchange Act of 1934, see section 78u of this title.

Trust Indenture Act of 1939, see section 77uuu of this title.

Jurisdiction of offenses and suits under—

Investment Advisers Act of 1940, see section 80b–14 of this title.

Investment Company Act of 1940, see section 80a–43 of this title.

Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, see section 79y of this title.

Securities Exchange Act of 1934, see section 78aa of this title.

Trust Indenture Act of 1939, see section 77vvv of this title.

Rules and regulations, authority of Commission to make, amend, and rescind, see section 77s of this title.

Venue of district courts generally, see section 1391 et seq. of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in sections 77t, 77uuu, 77vvv of this title; title 7 section 1932.