Quote:
Originally Posted by Cimarron29414
I haven't located a detailed description of how they managed to get this charge to stick. Has anyone else seen that? Why was this charge different?
|
It was conspiracy that stuck, the wonderfully amorphous catch-all statute, 18 USC s. 371
Quote:
§ 371. Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud United States
How Current is This?
If two or more persons conspire either to commit any offense against the United States, or to defraud the United States, or any agency thereof in any manner or for any purpose, and one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
If, however, the offense, the commission of which is the object of the conspiracy, is a misdemeanor only, the punishment for such conspiracy shall not exceed the maximum punishment provided for such misdemeanor.
|
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18...1----000-.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiracy_(crime)
IIRC, my professor, a 4th Circuit judge joked about how one can almost always get a conviction under conspiracy.