Chris0nllyn
Well-Known Member
It essentially gives a 10 year prison sentence to anyone who "knowingly assaults a law enforcement officer," thereby "causing serious bodily injury," or "attempts to do so." Something already on the books in all 50 states.
Since, normally (in a govt. run by people who care about it), the Constitution does not grant the feds the authority to fight local crime, they included language in the bill that allows them to regulate under the Commerce Clause (the new "go-to" for the federal govt., apparently).
The House Liberty Caucus gets it...
This bill specifically allows the feds to prosecute someone even if they are found not guilty in state court(s) or if they are convicted but the DoJ deems the punishment not severe enough. They can do this based on the "dual sovereignty" doctrine.
It's essentially a hate crime law for police that means someone can get up to 10 years in prison for swinging (and missing) at someone that is a cop, or even if he mistakenly thinks it's a cop.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5698/text
Since, normally (in a govt. run by people who care about it), the Constitution does not grant the feds the authority to fight local crime, they included language in the bill that allows them to regulate under the Commerce Clause (the new "go-to" for the federal govt., apparently).
The House Liberty Caucus gets it...
A tenuous connection to economic activity cannot transform a criminal law that has nothing to do with economic activity—and that is explicitly for the purpose of public safety—into a regulation of interstate commerce. If it could, the Commerce Clause would destroy the Constitution's design for a very limited federal role in criminal law enforcement, covering only a few crimes that are clearly federal in nature.
This bill specifically allows the feds to prosecute someone even if they are found not guilty in state court(s) or if they are convicted but the DoJ deems the punishment not severe enough. They can do this based on the "dual sovereignty" doctrine.
It's essentially a hate crime law for police that means someone can get up to 10 years in prison for swinging (and missing) at someone that is a cop, or even if he mistakenly thinks it's a cop.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5698/text