Re:How Dutch Police Took Over Hansa, a Top Dark Web Market
by scurvy on Friday March 09, 2018 @07:34PM
(#16556327)
writ of mandamus?
Re:How Dutch Police Took Over Hansa, a Top Dark Web Market
by dragonwriter on Friday March 09, 2018 @08:42PM
(#16556622)
A bare noun phrase is kind of vague as a question, but.
> writ of mandamus?
Yes, it exists.
No, it doesn't obligate state bodies to “pursue” or “prosecute” violations of federal law.
“State bodies” are not required to pursue and assist with enforcing federal laws, and are generally prohibited from prosecuting under then except when states have been granted special power to do so in federal law. These are fundamental features of the “dual sovereignty” federal system in the US (and the freedom of states to decline to enforce federal law was noted as far back as in cases related to the Fugitive Slave Act prior to the Civil War.)
If the federal government wants to make laws, then it is also responsible for figuring out how to enforce them. Within certain bounds, it can bribe states to do it, but it can't command them to.