Overview

• President Donald Trump issued an executive order requiring federal agencies to list and clearly define all regulations carrying criminal penalties within 365 days.
• The order emphasizes intent-based enforcement, urging prosecutors to prioritize cases involving knowing violations over strict liability offenses.
• The Code of Federal Regulations spans 175,000 pages and includes an estimated 300,000 regulatory crimes, vastly outnumbering statutory crimes by a ratio of 60 to 1.
• Legal experts, including GianCarlo Canaparo, have called for legislative reforms to reduce overcriminalization, add mens rea requirements, and protect unwitting violators.
• High-profile cases, such as Michelino Sunseri's misdemeanor charge for unknowingly using a closed trail, highlight the human toll of obscure and excessive regulations.