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Overview of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act of 1970 RICO

RICO was enacted in response to the threat to the American economy from the unfettered growth of organized crime. RICO was intended to assist in remedying the inhabitation of the development of admissible evidence necessary to bring criminal charges against individuals involved in organized crime. The United States Congress enacted RICO in the hope that it would in part permit prosecutors to revitalize corrupted interstate enterprises into legal businesses.

Ex Post Facto Laws

An ex post facto law is a law that provides for punishment for an act that was committed when the act was not illegal. Additionally, an ex post facto law includes:

COMMUTATION OF SENTENCE

A commutation of sentence is the reduction of a defendant's sentence by a state's governor. It is a form of clemency. A commutation does not remove any legal disabilities of the defendant's conviction. It only has the effect of reducing the defendant's original sentence. A commutation has no effect on the defendant's guilt.

ISSUING A BAD OR A WORTHLESS CHECK

A person commits the offense of issuing a bad or a worthless check when he or she writes, issues, or passes a check or similar document for the payment of money when he or she knows that he or she does not have sufficient funds in a banking institution to pay the check.

Violations of the Federal Controlled Substance Act

The Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act gives the government the authority to supervise the manufacture and distribution of controlled substances. The Federal Controlled Substance Act (Substance Act) is a subdivision of the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act.