Barr Directs Prosecutors to Monitor Lockdown Restrictions That Violate Constitutional Rights

'The Constitution is not suspended in times of crisis,' the attorney general says

Attorney General William Barr waves as he walks on stage to speak at the National Sheriffs' Association Winter Legislative and Technology Conference in Washington on Feb. 10, 2020. Susan Walsh/AP Photo

Attorney General William Barr directed federal prosecutors on April 27 to keep an eye out for lockdown measures aimed at controlling the spread of the CCP virus that may be infringing on constitutional rights.

In a brief memorandum (pdf), Barr urged U.S. attorneys general across the country to “be on the lookout” for state and local restrictions that could be running afoul of constitutional rights and civil liberties of individual citizens.