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It's probably not the first time that record company executives have been likened to Al Capone, but this time a judge might have to agree or disagree. A New Jersey woman, one of the hundreds of people sued for alleged music-swapping by the Recording Industry Association of America, has countersued the big record labels, charging them with extortion and violations of the federal anti-racketeering act. Through her attorneys, Michele Scimeca contends that by suing file-swappers for copyright infringement, and then offering to settle instead of pursuing a case where liability could reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, the...

Long-shot suit charges RIAA with extortion, racketeering By JOHN BORLAND Staff Writer, CNET News.com POSTED AT 5:07 PM EST Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2004 It's probably not the first time that record company executives have been likened to Al Capone, but this time a judge might have to agree or disagree. A New Jersey woman, one of the hundreds of people sued for alleged music-swapping by the Recording Industry Association of America, has countersued the big record labels, charging them with extortion and violations of the federal anti-racketeering act. Through her attorneys, Michele Scimeca contends that by suing file-swappers for copyright infringement,...

Outstanding! I saw some anti-PETA commercials on Fox News last night--hit the nail right on the head! This group (consumerfreedom.com) is circulating a petition to the IRS to revoke PETA's tax-exempt status! We all MUST go sign a petition...it only takes a couple seconds. The petition is at: http://www.consumerfreedom.com/petaPetition.cfm If anyone saw the ad last night, you know how great it was. Kudos to Fox for running it--you never see ads like that.

<p>The last of three recent Douglas Freeman High School graduates pleaded guilty yesterday to a federal conspiracy charge for vandalism against construction sites, fast-food restaurants and sport utility vehicles parked in western Henrico County.</p> <p>John Burton Wade, 18, pleaded guilty yesterday morning in U.S. District Court. Virden Blackwell, 20, pleaded guilty Dec. 18, and Aaron Labe Linas, 18, pleaded guilty Wednesday.</p>

CHICAGO -- Former Governor George Ryan may face charges of extortion, racketeering, and obstruction of justice as soon as Wednesday.

View Current Signatures   -   Sign the Petition To:  The Internal Revenue Service of the United States. Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) have been making over 10 million dollars per year in donations over the last 5 years. On their website, it is shown that your donation will go to help the animals, but it has been discovered otherwise. Peta has been granted a tax-exempt status on all donations they receive. To be eligible for 501(c) (3) tax exemption, a group must be organized and operate exclusively for charitable purposes. Its activities cannot be illegal,...

Employees at as many as 16 area Starbucks were greeted Sunday morning with stores whose doors had been glued shut, police said, in objection to the ubiquitous chain's "corporate coffee." Protesters placed glue in the locks at several stores in central and western Houston and left behind fliers. "I bet you are wondering why your local Starbucks is closed this morning," one read, according to Houston Police Department spokesman Alvin Wright. Attempts to reach officials with Starbucks on Sunday were unsuccessful. "This dispute appears to be part of an ongoing conflict between these individuals and the chain," Wright said. Employees...

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. conspired with contractors in a criminal enterprise that violated the civil rights and wage protections of immigrants who cleaned its stores, workers recently arrested in federal raids charged in a lawsuit. The federal lawsuit seeks class-action status for perhaps thousands of immigrants, legal and illegal, hired by the contractors to clean the stores of the world's largest retailer, said a lawyer for the workers, James L. Linsey. The scheme by Wal-Mart and the contractors violated the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO, by systematically depriving the workers of labor law protections...

I honestly believe that the threat of lawsuits against individual downloaders was and is bogus. I have not seen one shred of evidence to the contrary. I've downloaded tons of songs beginning back with Napster. It never hurt the recording industry one ounce. What hurts them is when there is no interest. Luckily for them, Napster and Kazza kept the interest alive. When Napster first came out everyone loved it and there was no talk of lawsuits. The recording industry was booming. Sales were up and I remember news pundits and other talking heads say that the reason sales of...

"Girls Gone Wild" producer Joe Francis is now facing 22 criminal charges, including filming underage girls involved in sexual activity. Francis, 30, was arraigned Thursday in Bay County Circuit Court with racketeering and conspiracy to engage in racketeering activity, which are both first-degree felonies which carry up the 30 years in prison. He also faces three counts of promoting the sexual performance of children; four counts of conspiracy to promote the sexual performance of children; two counts of using children in sexual performances; four counts of procuring persons younger than 18 for prostitution; two counts of conspiring to procure persons...

<p>Ten years in the penitentiary could be a death sentence for former Gov. Edwin Edwards.</p> <p>That's why a committee of Louisiana residents is working to free Edwards before he finishes serving his time in prison.</p> <p>Committee members, some from Cenla, said they plan to circulate a petition asking President George W. Bush to commute Edwards' 10-year gambling racketeering sentence.</p>

Ganim Found Guilty 12:36 PM EST,March 19, 2003 The Associated Press NEW HAVEN -- Bridgeport Mayor Joseph P. Ganim, who took credit for reviving Connecticut's largest city and dreamed of becoming governor, was convicted on 16 of 21 counts today in the largest corruption case in recent state history. Ganim was convicted of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, bribery conspiracy, mail fraud and filing a false tax return. Racketeering is the most serious charges.

<p>Supreme Court justices used a 1986 abortion case to debate the limits of political protests yesterday, professing skepticism as to whether protests that shut down a business could be called extortion.</p> <p>At issue was Joseph Scheidler v. National Organization for Women (NOW), in which a jury found two pro-life groups and three individuals guilty of using extortion to shut down abortion clinics.</p>

National Organization for Women, Inc. v. Scheidler, 267 F.3d 687 (7th Cir. Oct. 2, 2001)[On Remand] Issue #1:  Is a court empowered to award a civil RICO plaintiff permanent injunctive relief?Issue #2:  Did the evidence establish that defendants, pro-life protestors, engaged in racketeering activity as opposed to engaging in speech and protest protected by the First Amendment?Commentary:  The original case before the court was dismissed on summary judgment motion brought by the defendants.  The plaintiffs appealed and the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision (see National Organization for Women v. Scheidler, 510 U.S. 249, 114 S. Ct. 798 (1994)),...

It is a well known fact that there are scores of computer professionals who have been laid off and are out of work in this country. Those positions include software engineers, network engineers, and electrical engineers. Those who have lost their jobs in the past 24 months know what I am talking about. We all know WHY we've been laid off. It is because indentured servants from other lands have overrun our country with the help of Congress due to the false premise of a labor shortage by IT industry lobbyists. Here we have an opportunity to "layoff" those who...

‘Unity amidst diversity’ By TARA MAY The State News The Rev. Jesse Jackson led a cry for peace Sunday afternoon at Breslin Center. Joined at the podium by religious student leaders, he delivered a message of “unity amidst diversity.” Jackson spoke out against war in Iraq and racial profiling, promoting peace and diversity to the about 2,000-person crowd. Called “Rally for Peace: From Tears and Fears to Hope and Harmony,” Jackson’s speech focused on finding alternatives to violence after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Jackson, a civil rights leader and founder of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition Inc., was greeted with a...

2nd Calif. officer removed from duty INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) - The partner of a white policeman who was videotaped punching a handcuffed black teenager has been removed from active duty after acknowledging that he too struck the youth. Officer Bijan Darvish will remain on paid administrative leave while the July 6 incident is investigated; Officer Jeremy Morse was suspended earlier. Darvish does not appear on the video, which was shot by a bystander across the street. But in a police report, he acknowledged punching Donovan Jackson twice in the face after the 16-year-old allegedly grabbed his shirt. The confrontation occurred...

Four men who say they were molested by a priest in the largest US Catholic community sued Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony for allegedly covering up sexual abuse by clergymen for years. The lawsuits claim the cardinal and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles effectively conspired to protect priests through racketeering, negligence and fraud. The alleged victims filed two lawsuits with the Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming they were misled about the fate of priest who allegedly molested them in the 1960s while he was allowed to continue ministering. "We would not be here today if I was not lied to...

OPEN LETTER TO CONRESSMAN NETHERCUTT Dear Congressman Nethercutt, I'm writing to you today to ask you to oppose the expulsion of Congressman Traficant from the House of Representatives. Rep. Traficant's trial took place in a Kangaroo Court. The judge didn't allow him to present most of his evidence, or to argue that the government had a vendetta against him. The Judge, on more than one occasion, conducted proceedings that normally would be conducted in private, in front of the jurors. Its obvious that Congressman Traficant's prosecution (or rather, persecution) was politically motivated. His behavior and tirades on the house floor...