[IronJack]

bill of attainder. A special legislative act prescribing capital punishment, without a trial, for a person guilty of a high offense such as treason or a felony.

Bills of attainder are prohibited by the U.S. Constitution (art. 1, SS9, cl.3, art. 1, ss10, cl.1).

-- Black's Law Dictionary

[dixie sass]

From what I understand in the article, IJ, that isn't the only thing they are used for. "...The only statement in the U.S.C. that reflects most of the original intention of the mandates is from Cummings v. Missouri (1867). It states, "A bill of attainder, is a legislative act which inflicts punishment without judicial trial and includes any legislative act which takes away the life, liberty or property of a particular named or easily ascertainable person or group of persons because the legislature thinks them guilty of conduct which deserves punishment."..."

What constitutes punishment though - consfication of land, a slap on the wrist, blockading, liens, fines... what? It is not clear at all.

[dixie sass]

See post 13#

[dixie sass]

BILL OF ATTAINDER - An act of the legislature by which one or more persons are declared to be attainted, and their property confiscated.

The Constitution of the United States declares that no state shall pass any bill of attainder.

During the revolutionary war bills of attainder and ex post facto acts of confiscation were passed to a wide extent. The evils resulting from them, in times of more cool reflection, were discovered to have far outweighed any imagined good.

I found this definition in the 'lectric lexicon.