Updates related to Harvey's book Three Felonies a Day, a critical take on the Justice Department
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In his book "Three Felonies a Day," attorney Harvey Silverglate describes how the proliferation of criminal statutes has made every American an unwitting felon. That's one reason some prominent legal minds want House Republicans to make a simple rule change to subject new criminal laws to greater scrutiny.
On the Kojo Nnamdi Show (WAMU - American University Radio), Harvey examines the vaguness of federal law, the recent "honest-services" Supreme Court hearings, and the cold comfort of relying on prosecutorial discretion. Guests include Adam Liptak of The New York Times, and Randall Eliason, former chief of the Public Corruption section of the U.S. Attorney's office in Washington, D.C. (Image opens NPR audio player in new window) [End of post]
The honest services law is but one example of what Harvey A. Silverglate, a civil liberties lawyer in Boston, calls “an over-criminalization problem.” His new book, “Three Felonies a Day: How the Feds Target the Innocent,” argues that the average American professional unwittingly commits several serious crimes each day. “Even the most intelligent and informed citizen (including lawyers and judges, for that matter),” Mr. Silverglate writes, “cannot predict with any reasonable assurance whether a wide range of seemingly ordinary activities might be regarded by federal prosecutors as felonies.” [End of post]
The honest services law is but one example of what Harvey A. Silverglate, a civil liberties lawyer in Boston, calls “an over-criminalization problem.” His new book, “Three Felonies a Day: How the Feds Target the Innocent,” argues that the average American professional unwittingly commits several serious crimes each day.
“Even the most intelligent and informed citizen (including lawyers and judges, for that matter),” Mr. Silverglate writes, “cannot predict with any reasonable assurance whether a wide range of seemingly ordinary activities might be regarded by federal prosecutors as felonies.” [End of post]