RICO & Conspiracy Crimes are Serious
Very often when discussing crime, we focus on the result. For instance, we highlight that someone killed another person (murder) or set fire to a building (arson). But, it is common for many crimes to involve more than one person and be planned in advance. When this happens, it introduces many other crimes known as preparatory offenses. One such preparatory offense is conspiracy, and both the Texas and federal government treat it very seriously. What Does it Mean to Conspire? Generally, conspiracy can be thought of as when two or more people agree to commit an illegal act, coupled with an action that furthers completion of the illegal act. It is important to note that the action does not need to be the intended crime itself. Additionally, a person can be convicted of both conspiracy to commit a crime and the crime that is committed. Texas Conspiracy Statute Under Texas law, criminal conspiracy is committed if, with the intent to commit a felony: a person agrees with one or more other people to engage in conduct that would constitute the offense; and one or more of them performs an overt act in pursuance of the agreement. The penalty for conspiracy is one category lower than the most serious felony that is the object of the conspiracy. In other words, if the most serious felony was a first degree felony, the conspiracy to commit that felony would be a second degree felony. In a case where the most serious felony is […]