Making a Federal Case Out of It: The Federalization of Common Law CrimesThe enactment of federal criminal law began with the ratification of our Constitution in 1788, which contained three criminal prohibitions. Today, after decades of federal regulatory action and the expansion of commerce-based criminal jurisdiction, there are more than 4,500 crimes listed in the federal criminal code. This article looks at how this exponential growth in federal criminal statutes has changed, or not changed, the criminal justice system.