Do You Know if You're Breaking the Law?
Close to 500 new federal laws were created between 2000 and 2007, and it's led to more than 4500 federal crimes on the books. It leads to the question - do you even know when you're doing something illegal?
For years, bartender Justin Fedorchak was known for a special fire-breathing stunt, often requested by the firefighters who man the station just down the block. What Justin didn't know was that it was also illegal.
"So was it a surprise, all of a sudden some guy comes up with says put your hands behind your back you're going to jail? Absolutely," says Fedorchak.
He was charged with a number felonies and though later cleared, he says the ordeal left scars.
"It's financially stressful. It's stressful on your family. It's just a very difficult thing to deal with."
Many average Americans don't know they could be doing something - from using incorrect mailing labels to riding a snowmobile on certain federal lands - that could land them behind bars.
Back in 1790, there were less than 20 federal crimes. Today there are an estimated 4500, though no one knows for sure.
"There are so many that neither the justice department nor the congressional research service, congress' own research service, can even count them. So there's no chance that the average American can actually know all of the conduct that he or she must avoid, in order not to be a criminal," says Brian Walsh of the Heritage Foundation.
Some lawmakers worry many of their colleagues are simply voting "yes" to measures creating new offenses because they don't want to be seen as soft on crime.
"There's no telling, you may be violating the law right now as your watch this. You don't know. I don't know. I might be violating something," says Rep Louie Gohmert of Texas.
However, legal experts caution against a mad dash to repeal the thousands of federal crimes - saying they can be an important tool for prosecutors looking to crack down on true criminals.
"As a prosecutor, you want access to lots of statutes. You want some flexibility when you're dealing with individuals you think are breaking the law, and you're trying to come up with options, sometimes creative because of the nature of it," says Roscoe Howard, former U.S. Attorney.
Critics say their biggest objection to all the new crimes is that many of them don't have any intent requirement at all - meaning you could wind up with a felony conviction and time behind bars without ever consciously choosing to break the law.
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