Why The Government Can't Bring Terrorism Charges In Charlottesville
NPRWhy The Government Can't Bring Terrorism Charges In Charlottesville Enlarge this image toggle caption Steve Helber/AP Steve Helber/AP When Attorney General Jeff Sessions was asked how he viewed the car attack in Charlottesville, Va., here's how he responded: "It does meet the definition of domestic terrorism in our statute," he told ABC's Good Morning America. But according to the Justice Department and legal analysts, it's simply not possible for the government to file charges of domestic terrorism, because no such criminal law exists. Sponsor Message The Patriot Act does define domestic terrorism, and under this designation, the Justice Department has broad powers to investigate, said Neal Katyal, a Georgetown University law professor who served as former President Barack Obama's acting solicitor general and as the national security adviser to the Justice Department. Sponsor Message The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force is leading what's being described as a "domestic terrorism investigation."
History of this topic
FBI director to Congress: Most domestic terror cases are driven by "white supremacist violence"
Salon
The Fight Over Treating Neo-Nazi Terrorists Differently From Muslim Ones
Huff Post
Charlottesville killing was an act of domestic terrorism
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