Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act

The U.S. Congress enacted the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act of 1970 (RICO) to deal with group crime, including organized crime, white-collar crime, violent groups, terrorism, and street gangs. RICO is the federal prosecutors’ tool of choice to deal with sophisticated forms of crime and an effective mechanism for prosecutors and crime victims to secure comprehensive civil relief. This entry considers effective law enforcement for group crime, the elements of RICO, and RICO in use.

Effective Law Enforcement

Effective law enforcement requires substantive provisions, procedural provisions, administrative organizations, and personnel. Without these, the law will be ineffective in dealing with group crime. Statutes, too, are only one part of a criminal justice system. Without important provisions (e.g., dealing with process, statutes dealing with false testimony, ...

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