"Curtailing the Criminalization of Capitalism: Overcoming Criminalization" Room 410

Texas has more than 1,700 criminal offenses on the books, including 11 felonies relating to harvesting oysters. Nearly all of these offenses are outside of the penal code, many of which relate to ordinary activities of individuals and businesses which have not traditionally been considered to be criminal. The panelists will examine legislative approaches for streamlining Texas’ criminal laws to ensure they focus on conduct that is blameworthy and harmful and do not undermine individual liberty and economic freedom.