Treason is a crime specifically mentioned in the Constitution of the US. The US constitution defines treason as a crime that is applicable to Americans who have in some way betrayed the allegiance they owe to the United States.
The constitution of the US specifies two types of treason:
- Levying war against the US.
- Adhering to the enemies of the US(providing them aid and comfort)
(Source: https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/interpretation/article-iii/clauses/39)
A defendant is convicted of levying war against the US if he is responsible for the assemblage of men to act against the country. Hence, the public prosecutor is required to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant had actually facilitated the assemblage of people for the purpose of acting against the country. Any act that defies the ruling government and activities opposing the government do not qualify as levying a war.
The US constitution has specific terms for treason law pertaining to adhering to enemies. According to this law, a US citizen can have political views that are aligned with an enemy nation. An individual can sympathize with the enemy or can intellectually and emotionally favor another nation so long as he does not aid the enemy in any way. If an individual is found guilty of providing support and comfort to the enemy/enemies of the US, he can be convicted under treason laws.
Besides these, the following acts are also punishable under treason laws:
- Making speeches that oppose the government or criticize the government.
- Profiteering
- Attacking the Defense Plants
- Striking Essential Services
Or any act that weakens the defenses of the nation constitutes treason. However, to prove an act of treason there must be evidence of an act being committed. If there is no proof of the accused facilitating any activity that is harmful to the nation, he will not be considered guilty.
According to the Treason Clause in the US laws, the defendant in the case can be judged guilty of treason if there is an open confession by him in the court or if there are two witnesses who testify against the defendant in the court. The testimony of the witnesses will hold good in the court if there is concrete evidence to prove that the act of the defendant amounted to treason.
Treason is considered a serious offense and if proved in a court of law, the punishments can be severe.
Some of the punishments for treason are:
- Death penalty
- Fine of over $10,000
- Imprisonment for a minimum period of 5 years
- The guilty party will be prohibited from holding any office in the United States.
If you are facing treason charges, you must not take it lightly and hire the best treason attorneys to represent you. You will need a treason attorney who is knowledgeable about the treason laws in the United States and has the experience of defending clients in such lawsuits.
Ward K Johnson Law Firm is one of the top law firms in the US with specialist lawyers for different types of litigations. Our treason lawyers have the expertise in defending clients accused of treason. We provide the best defense strategies to our clients.