Providing Penalties for the Assaniation of the President

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/31/2008

Congressional imprint “Providing Penalties for the Assaniation of the President”, 8p. octavo, June 9, 1965, with the “Purpose” of “making certain acts endangering the life and safety of the President and Vice President of the United States, or their immediate successors, Federal crimes, this bill would authorize Federal investigative and prosecutive jurisdiction and thereby facilitate apprehension of the lawbreakers.” and reads in small part: “...The assasination of President Kennedy and ensuing events focused attention on an anomaly in Federal law: it is not a Federal crime to assassinate the President of the United States, nor do Federal investigative agencies have absolute jurisdiction to investigate the assassination of a President. Following the death of President Kennedy, there was no clear basis for the exercise of Federal investigative jurisdiction, and when the assassin was apprehended, Federal authorities were unable to assert authority and take him into custody for questioning and safekeeping. The tragedy which resulted from this inability to act is too well known to require further detailing here...The enclosed proposal seeks to rectify the omission in Federal law by making it a Federal crime to kill, kidnap, or assault the President, the President elect, the Vice President, or other officer next in the order of presidential succession, the Vice-President-elect, or any individual who is acting President...” VG.

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