Deprivation Of Rights Under Color Of Law published by DOJ, updated May 19, 2020
Deprivation Of Rights Under Color Of Law
Summary:
- Section 242 of Title 18 makes it a crime for a person acting under color of any law to willfully deprive a person of a right or privilege protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States.For the purpose of Section 242, acts under “color of law” include acts not only done by federal, state, or local officials within their lawful authority, but also acts done beyond the bounds of that official’s lawful authority, if the acts are done while the official is purporting to or pretending to act in the performance of his/her official duties. Persons acting under color of law within the meaning of this statute include police officers, prisons guards and other law enforcement officials, as well as judges, care providers in public health facilities, and others who are acting as public officials. It is not necessary that the crime be motivated by animus toward the race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin of the victim.
The offense is punishable by a range of imprisonment up to a life term, or the death penalty, depending upon the circumstances of the crime, and the resulting injury, if any.
TITLE 18, U.S.C., SECTION 242
Whoever, under color of any law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom, willfully subjects any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States, … shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if bodily injury results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include the use, attempted use, or threatened use of a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.
Updated May 19, 2020
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Deprivation Of Rights Under Color Of Law
Thanks for posting this BZ.
The scope of this, Section 242 of Title 18 continues to include a vast and far reaching amount of behaviors by many., “within” and “beyond” their lawful authority.
Read and re-read, comes to mind.
“For the purpose of Section 242, acts under “color of law” include acts not only done by federal, state, or local officials within the their lawful authority, but also acts done beyond the bounds of that official’s lawful authority, if the acts are done while the official is purporting to or pretending to act in the performance of his/her official duties.”
Well, I watched the 2 hour video with the three girls. Very informative. So here I will take the opportunity to expose my timidity, trepidation, apprehensiveness to confront a few employees who compelled the whole mask wearing subject: I went out of my way to go to an art store where I knew the products I wanted could be found there instead of the Hobby Lobby a few miles away. The store front window had a hand painted sign “BLACK LIVES MATTER” posted on their front window. I entered and was immediately told by an employee manning the door that they require all customers to wear face masks and that they would provide them if needed. (see the hypocrisy; sign in window/have to wear masks) I told her that wasn’t going to happen, I would place my order via phone while sitting in my car and they could do “curbside pickup” for me.
Well, orders are placed through their main website which are then placed through the individual business and orders are usually not ready until the next day. So I went against every grain in my body and donned the stupid mask so I could get the supplies I needed. BZ Riger discussed in a 2 hour video her experience with not wearing a mask and being the only one who wasn’t wearing one and was never harassed; my question is this: what would you have done if they would have stated that you MUST wear a mask upon entering the facility? How would you have handled that? I commend all three of you women for going out into the public and making your statements and remarks to employees having to wear masks and advising them to take lots of breaks or whatever else you say to be overheard. I commend you all for having that fortitude, the guts, the gumption to do that. Some of us aren’t equipped. Some of us can’t maintain the level of composure necessary to confront the ignorant in a kind manner. I am one of those people. And because of that, I will never qualify for the job of a politician–not that I’d want to go in that direction, but my point is that some of us do not have the positive traits of tolerance and patience. By far, I am nowhere near being a highly intelligent person so I’m stunned every day at the level of ignorance abound.
I knew of this deprivation of rights under color of law prior to reading it here and I USED it when writing to the governor of my state, Ohio. Receiving replies from one of his clueless lackeys made me realize my rant fell upon deaf ears—-AS would have happened had I broken out a copy of TITLE 18, U.S.C., SECTION 242 at the art store. Any person who has the ignorance to post a handmade sign of “black lives matter” in their window but tell people in order to shop in their store they have to wear a mask is obviously clueless. I don’t have the patience to break it down for them. Now with all that being said, please don’t think I won’t take that day to the grave with me regretting that I broke down and put that crappy mask on my face so that I could go home and finish my art project. I should have put up a stink. But I didn’t. And every day that will eat at me that I didn’t stand my ground and take whatever it was they were all too ready to dish out or all too ignorant to dish out. I should have stood my ground, but I didn’t.