Constitutional inquisitors : the origins and practice of early federal prosecutors / Scott Ingram.
"In the United States, federal prosecutors enjoy a degree of power unmatched elsewhere in the world. They are free to investigate and prosecute--or decline to prosecute--criminal cases without significant oversight. And yet, no statute grants them these powers; their role is not mentioned in th...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
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Baltimore, Maryland :
Johns Hopkins University Press,
2023.
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| Subjects: |
| Summary: | "In the United States, federal prosecutors enjoy a degree of power unmatched elsewhere in the world. They are free to investigate and prosecute--or decline to prosecute--criminal cases without significant oversight. And yet, no statute grants them these powers; their role is not mentioned in the Constitution. How did they obtain this power, and are they truly independent from the political process? In Constitutional Inquisitors, Scott Ingram answers these questions by tracing the origins and development of federal criminal law enforcement. In the first book to examine the development of the federal law enforcement apparatus in the age of the early republic, Ingram explains how federal prosecutors' roles began as an afterthought but quickly evolved into powerful political positions. He also addresses two long-held perceptions about early federal criminal prosecution: that prosecutors tried many more cases then historians previously believed and that the relationship between prosecution and executive power is much more complex and interwoven than is commonly assumed. Drawing on materials at the National Archives as well as correspondence and trial reports, Ingram explores the first federal criminal case, the first use of presidential pardon power, the first federal prosecution of a female, and the first interstate criminal investigation. He also discloses internal administration discussions involving major criminal cases, including those arising from the Whiskey Insurrection, Neutrality Crisis, Alien and Sedition Acts, and Fries Rebellion. As the United States grapples today with political divisions and arguments over who should be prosecuted for what, Constitutional Inquisitors reveals that these problems began with the creation of the federal prosecutor role and have continued as the role gained power"-- |
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| Physical Description: | xi, 362 pages ; 24 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| ISBN: | 9781421446868 1421446863 |