Crime

Crime, in most cases, is to be dealt with by state and local governments. To the degree that the federal government, in its legislation, in its judicial actions, in its regulations, and in its executive branch activities, interferes with the ability of the people in their communities to apprehend, judge, and penalize accused lawbreakers, it bears responsibility for the climate of crime, which has grown more destructive with each passing year. I applaud the Congress for repealing the portion of the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 which gave the President the authority to use the military as a police force in place of federal, state, and local authorities.

I favor the right of states and localities to execute criminals convicted of capital crimes and to require restitution for the victims of criminals. Criminals who are unable to make restitution should be forced into labor to defray the cost of any damage they have caused. Federal involvement in state and local criminal justice processes should be limited to that which is constitutionally required.

All (including non-citizens) who are accused of crimes, petty to capital, shall have a trial by jury upon request, and the jury shall be fully informed of its right to nullify the law. Furthermore, I oppose defendants being charged and tried by both state and federal jurisdictions under different laws for the same alleged criminal act, thus violating the constitutionally secured prohibition against double jeopardy.

I recognize that a real reason for the designation of "hate crime" is to extend federal jurisdiction to crimes which would otherwise be in the province of the states. Less emphasis should placed on victimless crimes.