I noted here the wild overgrowth of the Lacey Act. It started out as a conservation law, then sprawled beyond all comprehension. It is Exhibit A in the effort to curb overcriminalization. My former Georgetown Law student Jarrett Dieterle wrote an excellent case study about how an originally decently sensible statute can balloon beyond recognition.
I have often criticized Sen. Rand Paul, but he, together with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, deserve praise for their bill to pare back some of the Act's excessive criminal penalties.
Leave a comment