In a crime/legal drama set in a location without the death penalty, almost always Big Applesauce, the drama of the death penalty is reintroduced by introducing the possibility that the defendant has committed a capital crime outside of New York State or that the defendant has committed a federal crime (which is still subject to the death penalty). If the protagonists are the defense they are always faced with finding a way to quash the possibility. If the protagonists are the prosecution however, the responses are more varied: Some may see it as Justice by Other Legal Means and gladly help (if not initiate the idea for a criminal they find deserving), but others may consider it Jurisdiction Friction and fight to keep "their" case.
Do we have a trope like this?