Bill of Attainder

An act of the legislature by which one or more persons are declared to be attainted, and their property confiscated.

The Constitution of the United States declares that no state shall pass any bill of attainder.

During the revolutionary war bills of attainder and ex post facto acts of confiscation were passed to a wide extent. The evils resulting from them, in times of more cool reflection, were discovered to have far outweighed any imagined good.

Conviction and sentence to death by statute, as opposed resulting from trial. - (read more on Bill of Attainder)