Posted on 04/27/2020 11:55:25 PM PDT by Syncro
U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Monday released a memo to federal prosecutors which sought to balance public safety measures with the preservation of “constitutional rights and civil liberties” during the coronavirus pandemic. The memo instructs U.S. Attorneys to “be on the lookout” for orders by state and local governments which encroach upon the rights of citizens.
Barr said he is expanding the mandate on prosecutors previously directed to prioritize cases against persons accused of illegally profiting from PPE hoarding and price gouging to also encompass constitutional violations.
“Now, I am directing each of our United States Attorneys to also be on the lookout for state and local directives that could be violating the constitutional rights and civil liberties of individual citizens,” Barr wrote.
Per the memo:
“As the Department of Justice explained recently in guidance to states and localities taking steps to battle the pandemic, even in times of emergency, when reasonable and temporary restrictions are placed on rights, the First Amendment and federal statutory law prohibit discrimination against religious institutions and religious believers. The legal restrictions on state and local authority are not limited to discrimination against religious institutions and religious believers.”
Barr said he is authorizing the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Eric Dreiband and the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Matthew Schneider to coordinate DOJ’s “efforts to monitor state and local policies and, if necessary, take action to correct them.”
Barr also provided an example of the conduct the DOJ should be ensuring does not take place.
Read the rest at Law and Crime
violations all over the US- any bets on how many lawsuits get filed?
By Jeff Mordock - The Washington Times - Monday, April 27, 2020
Attorney General William Barr on Monday ordered federal prosecutors across the country to consider legal action against governors if their efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus infringe on Americans’ civil rights.
In a two-page memo, Mr. Barr directed all U.S. attorneys to “be on the lookout” for local and state directives that could violate religious, free speech or economic rights under the Constitution.
“If a state or local ordinance crosses the line from an appropriate exercise of authority to stop the spread of COVID-19 into an overbearing infringement of constitutional and statutory protections, the Department of Justice may have an obligation to address that overreach in federal court,” Mr. Barr wrote in a memo to the 93 U.S. attorneys. Mr. Barr also directed Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Eric Dreiband and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Matthew Schneider to monitor state and local policies for potential violations.
The two officials will work with state and local governments as well as other federal agencies, according to the memo. They will be on the alert for coronavirus response policies that restrict free speech or religious liberty as well as other constitutional rights.
Read more at Washington Times
LOL!
They’ll look into it, and 3 years from now say some mistakes were made, and send a letter to those states.
Prove me wrong.
That’s exactly what will happen
Heh you are probably right.
None of these things are followed through on.
Pretty much everything they have been doing.
Millions will be spent and some janitor in the state house will go to Prison.
only a moron believes any of this
It’s a fairly straigh-forward type of litigation where the US attorney can file an emergency injunction, denying state’s rules which violate the constitution. The orders by governors can be voided if they conflict with the constitution, and likely the easiest way is to invoke the commerce clause, where governors are interfering with interstate commerce. Any US attorney who has a law degree should be able to sail an injunction through a federal court.
Can...
Thanks for weighing in.
Thanks for weighing in with some good info.
same ol’ same ol’
At least he’s giving a heads up to the US attorneys.
And I would say, oh about a zillion or so.
I think it will take a lot longer than 3 years. By the time they get around to it, we won’t even remember what Covid 19 was. Who do they think they are fooling? /S
“Bagpipes Bob” is ALL SHOW and NO GO!
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