Reading Room Document
Possible Application of the Posse Comitatus Act to Use of Armed Forces in Mississippi Search
This opinion concluded that naval forces could be used in connection with the search for civil rights activists James Chaney, Michael Schwerner, and Andrew Goodman. The OLC reasoned that the Posse Comitatus Act did not apply to Navy personnel and applied only to law enforcement efforts rather than search-and-rescue operations.
The OLC's Opinions
Opinions published by the OLC, including those released in response to our FOIA lawsuit