FEDERAL CRIMINAL CIVIL RIGHTS LAW
(LAWD-4090) - 2 UNITS

This course is a comprehensive examination of the primary federal criminal statutes used to prosecute federal criminal civil rights violations, notably 18 USC ?? 241 (civil rights conspiracy), 242 (civil rights violations (e.g. law enforcement misconduct) acting "under color of law"), 245 (federally protected activities), 249 (hate crimes). The course will focus on the reach of these statutes to reach private actors in addition to state actors, the history and development of federal criminal law, particularly the enactment of the Civil War amendments and the Reconstruction period, key Supreme Court decisions, relevant Department of Justice policies which govern the decision to initiate a federal investigation and prosecution, grand jury presentation, and the interplay between double jeopardy and dual sovereignty principles which address the jurisdictional overlap where the conduct under investigation almost always constitutes a crime under both state and federal law. These issues have always been important and deserving of careful study. The George Floyd murder in 2020 and the resulting "racial reckoning" have only served to further highlight the importance of this critical body of criminal law.

Pass/Fail:
No

Prerequisites:
Criminal Law (LAWD-1001)