What is the thing called RICO?
<p>I'm not a law junkie, but I keep hearing this term, RICO, over and over again in different American TV shows (like Better Call Saul, for instance). So could you please explain to me what it is in simple terms (but in a detailed enough manner still)?</p>

<p>I can do it simple, but <a href="https://www.popehat.com/2016/06/14/lawsplainer-its-not-rico-dammit/" rel="noreferrer">the Popehat can lawsplain it better</a>. The crucial part is:</p>
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<p>It's never RICO!</p>
<p>I mean, not literally never. But I can say with a very high level of confidence that if you're asking me, it's not RICO.</p>
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<p>Ok, now, what is Rico? Well, it's short for the <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/part-I/chapter-96" rel="noreferrer">Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act</a>, and to use it you need to show a lot of stuff as <a href="https://www.ce9.uscourts.gov/jury-instructions/node/134" rel="noreferrer">the RICO jury instructions</a> show. By the way, that is you need to prove <strong>all these points</strong> list:</p>
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<p>To recover under § 1962(c), a plaintiff must prove (1) conduct, (2) of an enterprise, (3) through a pattern, (4) of racketeering activity (known as &quot;predicate acts&quot;), (5) causing injury to the plaintiff's &quot;business or property&quot; by the conduct constituting the violation.</p>
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<p>Judges <strong>hate</strong> RICO. Some even have pre-written orders to demand whoever brings up RICO to show why they believe it is RICO - and <a href="https://www.popehat.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Rico-Order.pdf" rel="noreferrer">Popehat can show you such a model order.</a></p>

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