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Business Organizations Law

Vanderbilt University Law School

Vanderbilt Law Review

1990

RICO reform

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Law

The Defense Case For Rico Reform, Terrance G. Reed Apr 1990

The Defense Case For Rico Reform, Terrance G. Reed

Vanderbilt Law Review

Frequent use of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act of 1970 (RICO)' by government and private litigants has prompted a chorus of criticism during the last five years. This criticism has not been restricted to the narrow confines of the legal profession;many respectable newspapers recently have issued calls for the outright repeal of RICO. Attorneys who regularly defend against criminal or civil RICO allegations cannot take credit for the increasing dissatisfaction with RICO. Rather, it is the successes, and indeed the excesses, of RICO's proponents that have tarnished the statute's image. RICO's revolutionary application to increasingly broad areas of …


Reforming Rico: If, Why, And How, Rene Augustine Apr 1990

Reforming Rico: If, Why, And How, Rene Augustine

Vanderbilt Law Review

With its increased use both by prosecutors and private plaintiffs,the RICO statute has prompted a host of criticisms. For instance, some critics argue that Congress intended RICO to battle mafia crimes of the Al Capone genre, but that it has been applied in situations far beyond those Congress originally envisioned. Some seek RICO reform because of concerns that the statute may threaten civil liberties and chill free speech. Unhappiness with RICO has led to some uncommon alliances between diverse groups who wish to reform or repeal the statute. In fact, RICO itself has been applied to a wide variety of …