(a) Following any hearing conducted pursuant to these rules, the Regional Commissioner may designate that a case should be decided as an original jurisdiction case. If the Regional Commissioner makes such a designation, the Regional Commissioner shall vote on the case and then refer the case to the other Commissioners for their votes. The decision in an original jurisdiction case shall be made on the basis of a majority vote of Commissioners holding office at the time of the decision.

(b) A Commissioner may designate a case as an original jurisdiction case if the case involves an offender:

(1) Who committed a serious crime against the security of the nation;

(2) Whose offense behavior included an unusual degree of sophistication or planning or was part of a large scale criminal conspiracy or continuing criminal enterprise;

(3) Who received national or unusual attention because of the nature of the crime, arrest, trial, or prisoner status, or because of the community status of the offender or a victim of the crime;

(4) Whose offense behavior caused the death of a law enforcement officer while the officer was in the line of duty; or

(5) Who was sentenced to a maximum term of at least 45 years or life imprisonment.

(c)

(1) Any case designated for the original jurisdiction of the Commission shall remain an original jurisdiction case unless designation is removed pursuant to this subsection.

(2) A case found to be inappropriately designated for the Commission's original jurisdiction, or to no longer warrant such designation, may be removed from original jurisdiction under the procedures specified in paragraph (a) of this section following a regularly scheduled hearing or the reopening of the case pursuant to §2.28. Removal from original jurisdiction may also occur by majority vote of the Commission considering a petition for reconsideration pursuant to §2.27. Where the circumstances warrant, a case may be redesignated as original jurisdiction pursuant to the provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section.

[42 FR 39809, Aug. 5, 1977, as amended at 42 FR 44234, Sept. 2, 1977; 48 FR 53409, Nov. 28, 1983; 61 FR 13763, Mar. 28, 1996; 61 FR 55743, Oct. 29, 1996; 68 FR 41529, July 14, 2003; 75 FR 81459, Dec. 28, 2010]