Bill of attainder

A bill of attainder is like a rule that a group of people make that says that someone has done something wrong and they should be punished.

Imagine you and your friends made a rule that said, "If someone eats candy before dinner, they have to give us all their toys." That would be like a bill of attainder.

But in real life, bills of attainder are usually made by the government. They are not allowed to make bills of attainder, though, because they are not fair. Everyone is supposed to be treated equally under the law, so if someone does something wrong, they should go through the regular court system to be punished.

If someone is punished by a bill of attainder, it means they did not get a fair trial and the punishment might be too harsh or unfair. That's why bills of attainder are not allowed in the United States.