Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2011
Abstract
Thank you, Brad, and thank you to the Law Review for inviting me here today. Protecting national security while honoring civil liberties is the greatest challenge of our generation. As a prosecutor, I am charged with protecting national security, and I understand the importance of protecting the public from acts of terrorism. But prosecutors are also sworn to uphold the Constitution. In fact, at the U.S. Attorney's Office, we are also charged with prosecuting violations of civil rights. So in every case, we understand how important it is to protect people's constitutional rights, such as First Amendment rights to free speech, association, and religion, and Fourth Amendment rights to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. How then in a democratic society do we address these potentially conflicting challenges? Lawyers in my office are confronted with these issues every day in very stark terms, and so it is a very important issue. And it's one that we as a society need to get right.
Recommended Citation
McQuade, Barbara. "Searching for Effective and Constitutional Responses to Homegrown Terrorists." Wayne Law Review 57, no. 1 (2011): 255-260.