Comment

Comment by Anti Everything on November 4, 2016 at 12:11am

Punishment of Treason

The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.

Article III, Section 3, Clause 2

Teacher's Companion Lesson (PDF)

Under common law, punishment for treason generally included drawing, hanging, beheading, and quartering. As with other crimes carrying sentence of death, those adjudged guilty of treason and finally sentenced were considered attaint, or stained, meaning dead in the eyes of the law—even before execution. Once attainder was established, the attainted forfeited his real estate to the Crown—a requirement symbolizing lack of entitlement to the benefits of society. Attainder also worked corruption of blood, preventing the attainted from inheriting or transmitting property and preventing any person from deriving title through the attainted. Forfeitures and corruption of blood worked hardship on dependents and relatives in order to provide maximum deterrence. Eventually, Parliament modified the laws of forfeiture and corruption of blood to protect the innocent.

http://www.heritage.org/constitution/#!/articles/3/essays/120/punishment-of-treason

Comment by KingofthePaupers on November 3, 2016 at 2:18pm

Jct: Guess he saw nothing wrong with handing out immunity to get evidence he could have subpoenaed! Har har har.