RICO on the horizon?

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Sep 29, 2004

The Springfield Republican is right: When he secured a grand-jury indictment of Bishop Dupre, then announced that he would not prosecute, district attorney William Bennett was sending an engraved invitation to prosecutors in other jurisdictions.

But there's more.

CWN reporters tell me they've been hearing rumors that the US Department of Justice is investigating Catholic bishops, with an eye to a RICO prosecution. RICO is the weapon of choice for a prosecutor going after organized-crime figures, and hoping to prove the existence of a criminal conspiracy. Such as, in this case, a conspiracy to engage in, or cover up, child abuse.

For a RICO prosecutor, crimes that cannot be punished by themselves, because the statute of limitations has expired, can still be used to show evidence of conspiracy.

'nuff said?