Could you provide info on how a President can suspend the Constitution? I suspect that this is urban myth.
Sorry about that, I got a little ahead of myself. The President can not suspend the Constitution per se, as in saying, "I am suspending the Constitution." The imposition of Martial Law suspends parts of the Constitution, like your example of Habeas Corpus. Although after doing some research, it most likely won't be called Martial Law. The new PC term is State of Emergency. While the Constitution supposedly gives limited powers to the Executive Branch under Martial Law or States of Emergency, there are several Executive Orders in effect which provide the President almost unlimited power and since the Courts, by definition of Martial Law, are incapable of operating, there is no way to challange the EO's during the time a State of Emergency is declared. This is very similar to what happened during Katrina where Ray Nagin ordered Martial Law and suspended certain civil rights, including the 2nd Amendment and authorized LE to confiscate weapons. It wasn't until well after Katrina was over that the lawsuits were filed (when the Courts were operational again.) Nagin and the City lost the lawsuits and will have to pay some damages for violating Civil Rights eventually, but this is little comfort that first night they took away your firearms and you had no way to defend yourself or your family from the roving gangs (who they never seemed able to disarm.)
Here are a few EO's I found to make you say WTF!
Martial law is defined as: military rule or authority imposed on a civilian population when the civil authorities cannot maintain law and order, as in a time of war or during an emergency.
Executive Order 10995: All communications media are to be seized by the Federal Government. Radio, TV, newspapers, CB, Ham, telephones, and the internet will be under federal control. Hence, the First Amendment will be suspended indefinitely.
Executive Order 10997: All electrical power, fuels, and all minerals well be seized by the federal government.
Executive Order 10998: All food resources, farms and farm equipment will be seized by the government. You will not be allowed to hoard food since this is regulated.
Executive Order 10999: All modes of transportation will go into government control. Any vehicle can be seized.
Executive Order 11000: All civilians can be used for work under federal supervision.
Executive Order 11490: Establishes presidential control over all US citizens, businesses, and churches in time of "emergency."
Executive Order 12919: Directs various Cabinet officials to be constantly ready to take over virtually all aspects of the US economy during a State of National Emergency at the direction of the president.
Executive Order 13010: Directs FEMA to take control over all government agencies in time of emergency. FEMA is under control of executive branch of the government.
Executive Order 12656: "ASSIGNMENT OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS RESPONSIBILITIES", "A national emergency is any occurrence, including natural disaster, military attack, technological emergency, or other emergency that seriously degrades or seriously threatens the national security of the United States. Policy for national security emergency preparedness shall be established by the President." This order includes federal takeover of all local law enforcement agencies, wage and price controls, prohibits you from moving assets in or out of the United States, creates a draft, controls all travel in and out of the United States, and much more.
Martial law can be declared due to natural disasters, Y2k Crisis, Stock Market crash, no electricity, riots, biological attack, .... anything leading to the breakdown of law and order.
And these are just a few I found. I've will continue to tell anyone who comes through our training courses. Only YOU are responsible for your own security at all times. Sometimes you may have help, other times you won't. Prepare accordingly.
USSA-1