Section 602 of the Conference Committee’s version of Patriot Act makes holding an un-authorised sign at a Democratic or Republican National Convention, a Presidential, VP, or Candidate appearance, and any other event designated by the Secret Service as a “national special security event” a felony punishable by a year imprisonment.
A not farfetched interpretation would have made felons of the entire Wisconsin Delegation to the 1968 Democratic Convention, when Mayor Daley ruled them out of order for moving to adjourn the Convention and reconvene outside Daley’s bailiwick.
Section 603 makes a seperate offence of entering the Convention with forged credentials, possessing such, or even perhaps the time-honored tradition of shareing ones’ entry pass to a friend.
Full text of the pending legislation, including the “Joint Explanatory Statement” from the GOPers on the Conference Committee.
Below analysis from: JOINT EXPLANATORY STATEMENT OF THE COMMI1TEE OF CONFERENCE
Section 602. Interference with national special security events
Section 602 of the conference report is a new section.
18 U.S.C. Sec. 1752 authorizes the Secret Service to charge individuals who breach established security perimeters or engage in other disruptive or potentially dangerous conduct at National Special Security Events (NSSEs) if a Secret Service protectee is attending the designated event. Section 602 of the conference report expands 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1752 to criminalize such security breaches at NSSEs that occur when the Secret Service protectee is not in attendance.
Additionally, it doubles the statutory penalties (from 6 months to 1 year) for violations of Sec. 1752, to make the penalty consistent with the prescribed penalty under 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3056(d) (interference with Secret Service law enforcement personnel generally). The conference report makes punishable by up to 10 years the thwarting of security procedures by individuals in possession of dangerous or deadly weapons.
Section 603. False credentials to national special security events
Section 603 of the conference report is a new section.
This section amends 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1028 to make it a Federal crime to knowingly produce, possess, or transfer a false identification document that could be used to gain unlawful and unauthorized access to any restricted area of a building or grounds in conjunction with a NSSE. Such actions were a problem during the 2002 Winter Olympics, and the conference report will allow for Federal prosecution against such criminal violations at future NSSEs.
