Protect and Serve Act

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...
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
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
I don't really care who prosecutes a person who attacks a cop, or even someone they think is a cop. It's just mumbo jumbo make-work anyway, since assaulting a police officer is already illegal, as is assaulting a civilian.

Hate crime laws are stupid. Crimes are already against the law, which is why they're called, you know, crimes. Motive isn't really important, imo. If some skinhead attacks a black person because they're black, how is that different than if they attack them for any other reason?
 

Lurk

Happy Creepy Ass Cracka
" Something already on the books in all 50 states.

If a thug murders a cop while robbing a bank in New York City (no death penalty in New York), how is it that, when appropriate, the thug might end up on death row in a Federal lockup?
 

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
we have Federal laws making it extra special criminal to kill a federal employee in the duties of his / her JOB


plain old 'murder' isn't good enough
 
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This_person

Well-Known Member
I don't really care who prosecutes a person who attacks a cop, or even someone they think is a cop. It's just mumbo jumbo make-work anyway, since assaulting a police officer is already illegal, as is assaulting a civilian.

Hate crime laws are stupid. Crimes are already against the law, which is why they're called, you know, crimes. Motive isn't really important, imo. If some skinhead attacks a black person because they're black, how is that different than if they attack them for any other reason?

I fully agree with this whole post. Laws like this imply that assault of a law enforcement official is somehow special, further implying the position of law enforcement official is somehow special. So-called "hate" crimes carry that same connotation - that somehow one citizen is special as compared with another for the exact same crime.

All animals on the farm are equal, some are just a little more equal? I'm not ok with that.
 

Chris0nllyn

Well-Known Member
I fully agree with this whole post. Laws like this imply that assault of a law enforcement official is somehow special, further implying the position of law enforcement official is somehow special. So-called "hate" crimes carry that same connotation - that somehow one citizen is special as compared with another for the exact same crime.

All animals on the farm are equal, some are just a little more equal? I'm not ok with that.

Dilly, Dilly.

Unfortunately, when public service unions become powerful, they gvet special treatment. From a specific set of "rights" for police, to better benefits, to special laws, we've been watching this happen. How can you be against this sort of thing without being branded a "cop hater"? How can you be a politician and say, "this has gone on far enough" while the FOP comes out and does not endorse you?
 

tom88

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

Funny....I never heard you bitch about the LAPD officers aquitted in state court but convicted in federal court. Sure....you have no bias!
 

Chris0nllyn

Well-Known Member
Funny....I never heard you bitch about the LAPD officers aquitted in state court but convicted in federal court. Sure....you have no bias!

:gossip: You didn't hear that because I didn't know about it.

What do you think about this bill?
 

SamSpade

Well-Known Member
I'm not sure on the implementation of it - but I am very supportive of laws which punish attacking cops.
I realize it's already the law - I'm just saying I support it - attacking law enforcement makes things more dangerous for the rest of us,
just as a disease that attacks the immune system is more dangerous than one that just attacks the body.
 

tom88

Well-Known Member
I fully agree with this whole post. Laws like this imply that assault of a law enforcement official is somehow special, further implying the position of law enforcement official is somehow special. So-called "hate" crimes carry that same connotation - that somehow one citizen is special as compared with another for the exact same crime.

All animals on the farm are equal, some are just a little more equal? I'm not ok with that.

Since law enforcement officers can be convicted for the same offense in both state and federal jurisdictions, I am okay with someone who assaults a law enforcement officer being convicted in both state and federal courts. I also like the federal government sentencing because a prisoner has to serve more time on a federal sentence than they would on a sentence carried out in Maryland.
 

Hijinx

Well-Known Member
I will believe these people are serious about punishing cop killers, when I see Mumia Abu Jamal roasted to a golden brown in the electric chair.
 

This_person

Well-Known Member
Since law enforcement officers can be convicted for the same offense in both state and federal jurisdictions, I am okay with someone who assaults a law enforcement officer being convicted in both state and federal courts. I also like the federal government sentencing because a prisoner has to serve more time on a federal sentence than they would on a sentence carried out in Maryland.
If they treat all citizens equally, as in the prosecution does not discriminate based upon the occupation of the victim, I will be ok with it.
 
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