Tag Archives: Lacey Act

Restore the Law’s FOCUS

Originally published at National Review by Paul Larkin Jr. | 5/7/12
Senator Rand Paul (R., Ky.) and Representative Paul C. Broun (R., Ga.) Striking a blow against overcriminalization You’ve been invited to participate on a new game show called Do You Know the Law? Two wrong answers eliminate you. “Why not?” you say to yourself. “I know as much law as the next person. What’s the worst that could happen: embarrassment?” The first panelist correctly answers the question, “Can you steal your neighbor’s car?” The second aces the query, “Can you lie on a loan application?” You, however, get the question, “Do you import spiny lobster from Honduras in a plastic bag or a cardboard box?” Continue Reading

Gibson Guitar Raid: Much to Fret About

Originally published at National Review by Pat Nolan
Federal prosecutors are proving themselves too highly strung. With military precision, the federal officers surrounded the building, donned flak jackets and helmets, readied their weapons, burst in, and forced terrified employees out at gunpoint. Officers ransacked the facil Continue Reading

Heritage Report: The Unlikely Orchid Smuggler: A Case Study in OverCriminalization

Originally published at The Heritage Foundation by Andrew Grossman | 7/27/09
George Norris, an elderly retiree, had turned his orchid hobby into a part-time business run from the greenhouse in back of his home. He would import orchids from abroad–South Africa, Brazil, Peru–and resell them at plant shows and to local enthusiasts. He never made more than a few thousand dollars a year from his orchid business, but it kept him engaged and provided a little extra money–an especially important thing as his wife, Kathy, neared retirement from her job managing a local mediation clinic. Continue Reading