In 1790, there were 23 federal crimes. By 2008, there were over 4,450 federal criminal offenses and over 300,000 regulatory offenses that carried a criminal penalty. These regulatory offenses, promulgated not by Congress, but by unelected bureaucrats, generally criminalize everyday business activity not traditionally left under the guise of the criminal justice system, but rather left for civil and administrative remedies. Many of these “crimes” do not require the actor to know he or she has committed an offense, also known as mens rea.
Criminal Justice
Texas sets the standard in the fight against human trafficking
Originally published in the Dallas Morning News. New legislation stiffens penalties and provides for victims. A recent police effort underscored a disturbing but resolvable truth: Human trafficking doesn’t just happen in faraway places — it happens in our own backyard, and, too often, it targets our children. Through a coordinated effort by the U.S. Marshals...
October 30, 2025