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I was watching a Revolutionary War area TV series the other night and one of the plot lines involves the British loyalists issuing Bills of attainder against su
by pmorici 12y ago
I was watching a Revolutionary War area TV series the other night and one of the plot lines involves the British loyalists issuing Bills of attainder against suspected patriots effectively stealing all their property. It was one of the things that Americans were really ticked off about in those times, so much so that bills of attainder were banned when the constitution was written. How is this asset forfeiture w/o due process any different than a bill of attainder except for the fact that it takes place in the executive branch.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_of_attainder http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_of_attainder
- anigbrowl 12y agoA bill of attainder is a legislative act targeted against a particular individual, eg 'Now be it decided that pmorici's property is forfeit by this act, which shall be known as the 'Mess with Pmorici Act'. This executive order details particular behaviors computer attacks on critical national infrastructure from outside the US - that would get someone put on the OFAC list maintained by the treasury. C'mon man, I just checked the Wikipedia link and it says the exact same thing in the very first sentence. I get the impression that you linked it without actually having read it, instead relying on the impression you formed from watching the TV show. Don't try to figure out the law (or much of anything else) from a TV show. As a screenwriter myself I assure you that anything designed to go on a screen is dumbed down to the point of being wildly inaccurate. We write to engage your emotions, not your intellect.
- pmorici 12y agoI'm aware of what it is. I'm pointing out that, despite procedural differences, the effect, curtailment of due process, is the same.