Hobbs Act

THE HOBBS ACT IS a federal anti-racketeering law that makes it a crime to interfere with interstate commerce by extortion, robbery, or physical violence as in 18 U.S.C.A section 1951. Passed into law in 1946, the Hobbs Act was designed to battle organized crime, particularly to combat racketeering in labor-management disputes. The statute is frequently used in connection with cases involving public corruption, commercial disputes, and corruption directed at members of labor unions. Extant proof of racketeering as an element of a Hobbs Act offense is not required

The Act proscribes a number of separate offenses: 1) robbery, 2) extortion, 3) attempted robbery or extortion; and 4) conspiracy to commit robbery or extortion. Each such offense also requires the federal jurisdictional element of obstruction, delay, or ...