[neverdem]

Text: Opinion of Court of Appeals (pdf)

[Argus]

In celebration, I just lit up another coffin nail.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

Yeah, well the federal government itself could be found guilty of racketeering for spending years getting the entire working population hooked on Social Security which has turned out to be a monumental Ponzi scheme.

[Alberta's Child]

"If the district court concludes that the government has shown that the tobacco companies have committed RICO violations by advertising to youth despite assertions to the contrary and by falsely disputing smoking's addictive, unhealthy effects, then it may order whatever equitable relief it deems appropriate," Judge Tatel held.

If Judge Tatel really believes this to be the case, then the next round of RICO charges would be filed against every state government that collects taxes on cigarettes and permits these dangerous/unhealthy products to be sold despite knowing and formally acknowledging just how dangerous/unhealthy they are.

[appalachian_dweller]

Puff Ping.

[an amused spectator]

David S. Tatel: Nominated by William J. Clinton on June 20, 1994, to a seat vacated by Ruth Bader Ginsburg; Confirmed by the Senate on October 6, 1994, and received commission on October 7, 1994.

Stephen F. Williams: Nominated by Ronald Reagan on February 19, 1986, to a seat vacated by Malcolm R. Wilkey; Confirmed by the Senate on June 13, 1986, and received commission on June 16, 1986. Assumed senior status on September 30, 2001.

David B. Sentelle: Nominated by Ronald Reagan on February 2, 1987, to a seat vacated by Antonin Scalia; Confirmed by the Senate on September 9, 1987, and received commission on September 11, 1987.

================

Go figure that the only National Socialist in the bunch was appointed by Billy Jeff Clinton. I guess the difference between the American National Socialists and the Deutsche National Socialists is that the Deutsche flavor just flat-out nationalized the particular industry in question. The American National Socialists prefer to use the various penumbras and emanations to capture just the cash from the industry. That way they don't have to get their hands dirty actually awarding their friends control of the company/industry in question.

This is helpful around election time, because they can collect campaign cash from the EVIL corporations with one hand while using the other hand to finger the EVIL corporations for the various transgressions of the day.

[CyberAnt]

FOX reported that Janet Reno started this lawsuit. When Ashcroft came into office, he filed to have dismissed. However, some enterprising dem added the funding of the lawsuit to an appropriations bill and Ashcroft was forced to follow through with the suit.

Ashcroft is on record as saying the govt had no right to go after those funds in the first place.

So .. if you see anything in any local paper re Ashcroft being to blame - please set the record straight.