Your Jan. 25 editorial, “RICO: Casting too wide a net,” incorrectly implies that the Supreme Court decision would allow the use of RICO to deter legitimate political protest.
The decision addresses the very narrow issue of whether a person or group engaged in illegal activities must have an economic motive for its crimes to violate RICO. RICO does not contain such a requirement and the court wisely refused to judicially rewrite the law.
The NOW plaintiffs and those in other lawsuits across the nation do not seek to penalize peaceful protest or the exercise of free speech. They seek a powerful deterrent to those who commit arson, bombings and even murder to achieve their ends.
The federal access-to-clinics law, if enacted, will be an important protection for clinic workers and patients against individuals who commit violent acts on their own. However, RICO provides the ability to reach the “kingpins” who orchestrate violent protests nationwide and the threat of serious financial sanctions for those who resort to criminal acts to further their political goals.
