Is American Liberty Imperiled?

Cato Institute hosted an event on law and legal reform. Panelists talked about the dangers of the government breaking its own laws and the ignorance of citizens about their constitutional rights as well as how the government continued criminalizing ever more citizen conduct. Mr. Healy shared stories about American citizens, including Martha Stewart, who violated what he called obscure federal laws and for committing non-violent, victimless crimes. Judge Napolitano argued that the USA Patriot Act and the recently approved intelligence reform bill both violated the Constitution. He also gave a historical overview of government efforts to curtail civil rights in this country. Both panelists responded to questions from members of the audience. Judge Andrew P. Napolitano, Senior Judicial Analyst for Fox News authored the book Constitutional Chaos: What Happens When the Government Breaks Its Own Laws (Nelson Books, 2004). Gene Healy, served as the editor of Go Directly to Jail close