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Sen.Rand Paul, (R-Ky.), on his new legislation aimed at reducing criminality and the strange incidents concerning Nevada’s Caucus vote.
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You don't have to try breaking the law to do so in Soviet America.
We're Amanda was importing lobsters from Honduras was arrested here for violating Honduran regulations.
My next guest says it's time to stop punishing Americans so harshly for violating laws from foreign countries.
Joining me now Kentucky Republican senator Rand Paul senator Paul it's always a pleasure welcome here.
-- -- some of these laws are really really crazy.
Like importing things into the United States which are lawful to have here and lawful to -- here.
But violate some technical rule of the country from which they were imported.
And some of them are just down -- wrong like if a father and a -- are taking a leisurely walk on federal property.
And they reached down and discover a few Indian arrow heads.
And they put them in their backpack and take them home both the father and the son can be indicted by the feds and exposed to more than a year in jail happen that.
Well interestingly the US citizen who has a fisherman who -- fishing off the Honduran coast and bringing in crabs in -- Florida.
Was given eight years in prison.
Not for breaking -- US law but for breaking a Honduran law and you know what the law was.
Or -- you Honduran regulation -- said that your crabs need to be in cardboard not plastic.
The enemy in plastic bags not in cardboard that in a few other violations up Honduran regulations.
He got prison sentence and.
Eight years now now that shows a couple of dangers if I may.
It shows the danger of too much discretion in the hands of prosecutors there should be some some harm that he actually caused as a prerequisite to them.
Prosecuting him.
It also shows the people can be prosecuted for violating federal laws where they don't intend to break the law for 200 years the government had to prove intent.
Now they don't have to prove that anymore.
Well judge you'll be proud of me I'm not an attorney but I have another bill coming out -- -- going to address mens re.
For regulations that you have to show intent.
Have committed a crime in order to be tried.
And given a criminal sentence.
But the reason we got excited about this or got offended and appalled about this.
Was because Gibson guitar was raided in Nashville which is just down from my -- -- and they were accused of breaking a labor laws in India.
No US citizen should ever be prosecuted much less thrown in jail for breaking a foreign countries law.
So we have a new bill out that strikes.
Everywhere that it says foreign law in the Lacey act we get rid of that.
We change the criminal penalties to civil penalties.
And we think that would bring some reason back to these regulations.
That this -- something that I've been writing and speaking about as you know for years.
Where the courts and the congress in subtle ways that the public doesn't even know about it.
Have dropped the man's rare requirement hey hey -- -- legal phrase -- a guilty mind you have to know what you're doing an understanding -- breaking the -- stated differently.
The government should not be able to punish you because of what is essentially an accident it should only be able to punish you because of harm you caused an intended to cause.
Yeah and I'm horrified because she were also putting people in jail.
For wetlands violations you so -- they polluting the Everglades know they're putting dirt.
Or clean is still on low areas of residential developments.
And there's a woman and her father -- dance partner in Florida there were given ten years in jail.
For putting dirt on dry land.
Unbelievable.
Switching gears -- -- shenanigans in the vote counting in Nevada the other day.
I mean we went through the history of your father's.
A vote gathering in the states in 2008.
And in 2012.
And everywhere he goes his numbers -- increased dramatically.
Except in Nevada.
It's something -- I looked at the statistics in your right he's doubled and -- his vote everywhere except for Nevada.
And they thought they had a good organization out there so I think they're very surprised.
The other thing that colors our perception a little bit is in 2008.
Certain Republican -- confiscated the votes and put him in a -- safe in a casino and they stayed there for four years and never or accounted for most -- us recently.
Certainly -- little worried about it senator Paul it's a pleasure thanks for joining us.
Thank you just -- you thought --
