Domestic Terrorism: Overview of Federal Criminal Law and Constitutional Issues
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Domestic Terrorism: Overview of Federal Criminal Law and Constitutional Issues July 2, 2021 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R46829 SUMMARY R46829 Domestic Terrorism: Overview of Federal July 2, 2021 Criminal Law and Constitutional Issues Peter G. Berris Federal statute defines domestic terrorism to include dangerous criminal acts intended to Legislative Attorney intimidate or coerce a civilian population or to influence or affect government policy or conduct within the jurisdiction of the United States. Despite the federal statutory definition, no federal Michael A. Foster criminal provision expressly prohibits “domestic terrorism.” Nevertheless, numerous federal Legislative Attorney statutes offer prosecutors options in charging violent and destructive conduct consistent with the statutory definition of domestic terrorism. Some of these statutes can be characterized as expressly focused on terrorism, listing criminal offenses to include, among others, providing Jonathan M. Gaffney material support or resources to terrorists and engaging in terrorism transcending domestic Legislative Attorney boundaries. Other generally applicable federal criminal laws may also be relevant to domestic terrorism prosecutions. For example, depending on the defendant’s motive, target, or means, various federal criminal statutes protecting certain property or persons, prohibiting violence motivated by particular biases, or criminalizing possession or use of specific weapons may apply. Depending on the circumstances, prosecutors may also rely on accomplice liability or inchoate offenses such as attempt, conspiracy, or solicitation to charge conduct consistent with the definition of domestic terrorism. Beyond applicable offenses, domestic terrorism may be relevant in federal sentencing, either through specific statutes that authorize additional penalties in the domestic terrorism context or through the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which include an upward adjustment for offenses connected to terrorism. Civil disturbances over the past year have reportedly heightened interest in laws governing domestic terrorism, a topic that has long been a matter of congressional concern. As a number of proposals introduced in the 116th and 117th Congresses reflect, Congress remains interested in additional legislation addressing domestic terrorism, and any legislative action in this area would take place against the backdrop of a broader discussion of potential policy concerns and constitutional considerations. For instance, some observers dispute whether there is a gap in the existing federal domestic terrorism legal regime that leaves some violent or destructive conduct outside the scope of federal jurisdiction, and, if so, what new criminal provisions would be required. Additionally, certain constitutional constraints, such as First Amendment protections, Fourth Amendment restrictions on government searches, and broader federalism-based limitations on federal jurisdiction, may be relevant should Congress consider new domestic terrorism law. Congressional Research Service Domestic Terrorism: Overview of Federal Criminal Law and Constitutional Issues Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Federal Criminal Terrorism Laws .................................................................................................... 2 Material Support: 18 U.S.C. §§ 2339A & 2339B ..................................................................... 3 Material Support to Terrorists Under 18 U.S.C. § 2339A ................................................... 3 Material Support to Foreign Terrorist Organizations Under 18 U.S.C. § 2339B ................ 7 Terrorism Transcending National Boundaries: 18 U.S.C. § 2332b ........................................... 9 Remaining Chapter 113B Offenses .......................................................................................... 11 Other Federal Criminal Laws Applicable to Domestic Terrorism ................................................. 14 Substantive Criminal Laws ..................................................................................................... 14 Crimes of Violent Unrest .................................................................................................. 16 Crimes against Government Authority ............................................................................. 19 Crimes against Persons ..................................................................................................... 22 Crimes Involving Infrastructure or Federal Property ........................................................ 26 Hate Crimes ...................................................................................................................... 28 Crimes Involving Specific Weapons ................................................................................. 32 Crimes Involving Threats.................................................................................................. 37 Crimes Involving Computers ............................................................................................ 39 Inchoate and Accomplice Liability ......................................................................................... 41 Conspiracy ........................................................................................................................ 42 Attempt ............................................................................................................................. 42 Solicitation ........................................................................................................................ 43 Accomplice Liability ........................................................................................................ 44 Domestic Terrorism at Sentencing ................................................................................................ 45 Statutes with Terrorism-Related Sentence Enhancement Provisions ...................................... 45 Terrorism under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines .................................................................... 47 Considerations for Congress.......................................................................................................... 49 Is there a Gap in Current Law? ............................................................................................... 49 Differences in Offenses and Sentences ............................................................................. 49 Differences in Intelligence Gathering ............................................................................... 51 Need for a Separate Domestic Terrorism Law .................................................................. 53 Constitutional Issues ............................................................................................................... 54 Federalism ......................................................................................................................... 54 The First Amendment ....................................................................................................... 55 Fourth Amendment ........................................................................................................... 60 Legislative Proposals .............................................................................................................. 62 117th Congress .................................................................................................................. 62 116th Congress .................................................................................................................. 63 Tables Table 1. Comparison of Domestic Terrorism Legislation .............................................................. 66 Congressional Research Service Domestic Terrorism: Overview of Federal Criminal Law and Constitutional Issues Contacts Author Information ........................................................................................................................ 67 Congressional Research Service Domestic Terrorism: Overview of Federal Criminal Law and Constitutional Issues Introduction Domestic terrorism has been an issue of longstanding congressional concern.1 Occurrences such as the events of January 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol—which involved some conduct that federal law enforcement described as domestic terrorism2—have reportedly heightened congressional interest in the federal statutory regime governing domestic terrorism.3 Federal statute defines domestic terrorism as: [A]ctivities that-- (A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State; (B) appear to be intended-- (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and (C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States.[4] Although defined in federal law, there is no federal criminal provision expressly prohibiting “domestic terrorism,” as the terms defining domestic terrorism are not elements of criminal offenses.5 Conduct consistent with the definition of domestic terrorism may still be a federal 1 See, e.g., Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2017, S. 2148, 115th