Section 3 was somewhat obscure, and Russell meant to shed light on it. It proposed to give the attorney general the power to appeal to a federal court for an injunction against any individual who obstructed, or who was planning to obstruct, a citizen’s right to equal protection of the laws. If the injunction was then violated, and a court order ignored, a judge could assess penalties, including fines and imprisonment, without reference to a jury trial. In essence it allowed the Justice Department to use the federal courts to bypass local police forces and municipal and state authorities when a
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