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.
Local Government
Will Voters Decide to Leave Austin?
Last year, the Texas Legislature passed a limited disannexation measure, House Bill 3053, that allows people unfairly captured by large cities during a particular time period to hold an election on the question of staying or leaving municipal control. The law was passed after concerns were raised that some cities had accelerated their involuntary annexation...
February 12, 2024