Three Felonies a Day: How the Feds Target the Innocent

Theaverageprofessionalinthiscountrywakesupinthemorning,goestowork,comeshome,eatsdinner,andthengoestosleep,unawarethatheorshehaslikelycommittedseveralfederalcrimesthatday.Why?Theanswerliesintheverynatureofmodernfederalcriminallaws,whichhaveexplodedinnumberbutalsobecomeimpossiblybroadandvague.InThreeFeloniesaDay,HarveyA.SilverglaterevealshowfederalcriminallawshavebecomedangerouslydisconnectedfromtheEnglishcommonlawtraditionandhowprosecutorscanpinarguablefederalcrimesonanyoneofus,foreventhemostseeminglyinnocuousbehavior.ThevolumeoffederalcrimesinrecentdecadeshasincreasedwellbeyondthestatutebooksandintothemorassoftheCodeofFederalRegulations,handingfederalprosecutorsanadditionaltroveofvagueandexceedinglycomplexandtechnicalprohibitionstostickontheirhaplesstargets.ThedangersspelledoutinThreeFeloniesaDaydonotapplysolelyto"whitecollarcriminals,"stateandlocalpoliticians,andprofessionals.Nosocialclassorprofessionissafefromthistroublingformofsocialcontrolbytheexecutivebranch,andnothinglessthantheintegrityofourconstitutionaldemocracyhangsinthebalance.