A Titanic Criminal Law--Literally | Overcriminalized.com Update

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April 12, 2012 Edition    |    Discover more at Overcriminalized.com and Rule of Law home page General Editor: Paul Larkin of the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies

Bill of the Week: My Heart Criminal Law Will Go On Everywhere you turn, there’s no escaping the 100 year commemoration of the ill-fated voyage of the Titanic. The film is back in the theaters—in 3D no less. There are television specials and new books coming out every day this week. And Congress is passing a federal criminal law to protect the sunken ship.  The latter fact might be more confounding than the reasons why “Rose” tossed her gigantic diamond necklace into the ocean at the end of the Oscar-winning 1997 film. READ MORE >>

VIDEO: Bobby Unser Versus a Blizzard and the Feds In 1997 three-time Indy 500 winner Bobby Unser was convicted of a federal crime that exposed him to a $5,000 fine and a six month prison sentence. What did Unser do that so angered the federal government? He got lost in a blizzard. That’s it. How did getting lost in a blizzard become a crime? Watch the video. READ MORE >>

Heritage Expert Paul Larkin Talks to CBN News About Overcriminalization Research: A Deeper Look At Current Cybersecurity Legislation Heritage Foundation's Solutions for America on Overcriminalization

Legislative Update from Capitol Hill Follow links below to learn about laws pending in Congress that may perpetuate Overcriminalization NEW CRIMINAL LAW PROPOSALS H.R. 4343: Foreign Lobbying Reform Act H.R. 4318: [No Short Title] [Atrazine Prohibition] H.R. 4306: Captive Primate Safety Act H.R. 4284: [No Short Title] [Meat Packers] H.R. 4282: International Child Support Recovery Improvement Act of 2012 H.R. 4259: End Trafficking in Government Contracting Act of 2012 S. 2279: R.M.S. Titanic Maritime Memorial Preservation Act of 2012 S. 2234: End Trafficking in Government Contracting Act of 2012 UPDATES No Updates This Week

See Full List of Pending Legislation >>

The Definitive Book on Why and How to Reform Criminal Law Available Now ABOUT OVERCRIMINALIZATION The Heritage Foundation and a coalition of public interest legal groups are committed to reversing the troubling trend of overcriminalization, which is defined by three attributes: 1. Federalizing crime that properly belongs under state and local jurisdiction; 2. Imposing criminal penalties upon persons who acted without criminal intent (mens rea); 3. Applying criminal sanctions to conduct that historically has not been considered wrongful. This Legislative Update includes bills our researchers have identified that add or expand federal criminal offenses or penalties, but it generally does NOT include bills involving drugs, firearms, or crimes of violence.

The Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation Founded in 1973, The Heritage Foundation is the nation’s most broadly supported public policy organization. Heritage created the Center for Legal and Judicial Studies in 2001 to educate government officials, the media and the public about the Constitution, legal principles and how they affect public policy.