Fed. R. Crim. P. 20

(a) Consent to Transfer. A prosecution may be transferred from

the district where the indictment or information is pending, or

from which a warrant on a complaint has been issued, to the district where the defendant is arrested, held, or present if:

(1) the defendant states in writing a wish to plead guilty or

nolo contendere and to waive trial in the district where the indictment, information, or complaint is pending, consents in

writing to the court’s disposing of the case in the transferee

district, and files the statement in the transferee district; and

(2) the United States attorneys in both districts approve the

transfer in writing.

(b) Clerk’s Duties. After receiving the defendant’s statement and

the required approvals, the clerk where the indictment, information, or complaint is pending must send the file, or a certified

copy, to the clerk in the transferee district.

(c) Effect of a Not Guilty Plea. If the defendant pleads not guilty

after the case has been transferred under Rule 20(a), the clerk

must return the papers to the court where the prosecution began,

and that court must restore the proceeding to its docket. The defendant’s statement that the defendant wished to plead guilty or

nolo contendere is not, in any civil or criminal proceeding, admissible against the defendant.

35 Rule 23 FEDERAL RULES OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

(d) Juveniles.

(1) Consent to Transfer. A juvenile, as defined in 18 U.S.C.

§ 5031, may be proceeded against as a juvenile delinquent in the

district where the juvenile is arrested, held, or present if:

(A) the alleged offense that occurred in the other district

is not punishable by death or life imprisonment;

(B) an attorney has advised the juvenile;

(C) the court has informed the juvenile of the juvenile’s

rights—including the right to be returned to the district

where the offense allegedly occurred—and the consequences of waiving those rights;

(D) the juvenile, after receiving the court’s information

about rights, consents in writing to be proceeded against

in the transferee district, and files the consent in the

transferee district;

(E) the United States attorneys for both districts approve the transfer in writing; and

(F) the transferee court approves the transfer.

(2) Clerk’s Duties. After receiving the juvenile’s written consent and the required approvals, the clerk where the indictment, information, or complaint is pending or where the alleged offense occurred must send the file, or a certified copy,

to the clerk in the transferee district.

(As amended Feb. 28, 1966, eff. July 1, 1966; Apr. 22, 1974, eff. Dec.

1, 1975; Pub. L. 94–64, § 3(30), July 31, 1975, 89 Stat. 375, eff. Dec. 1,

1975; Apr. 28, 1982, eff. Aug. 1, 1982; Mar. 9, 1987, eff. Aug. 1, 1987;

Apr. 29, 2002, eff. Dec. 1, 2002.)