Sidney Patterson v. United States
DueProcess
Does the application of a vaguely written racketeering statute to prosecute unsophisticated criminal activity not contemplated by the legislative intent of RICO run afoul of due process requirements?
QUESTION PRESENTED FOR REVIEW A conviction based on less than sufficient evidence is a due process violation. 1. Does the application of a vaguely written racketeering statute to prosecute unsophisticated criminal activity not contemplated by the legislative intent of RICO run afoul of due process requirements? 2. If the government fails to show that two or more persons joined together to pursue any unlawful objective and that there was no functioning cohesive RICO enterprise, can a conviction for a Federal Controlled Substances Act (FCS) conspiracy stand? 3. If the government fails to show a functioning RICO enterprise, coupled with a general lack of sufficient evidence, can a murder conviction stand? ii