Describe the operation created and run by Nicky Barnes. For this assignment, you will examine and analyze the investigation and legal tools used to bring Barnes to justice. Investigation •Consider the structure of Barnes’ organization, as you described in Week 3. How did this structure make it difficult for the government to investigate and prosecute Barnes? •How would you characterize the criminal liability of the women who worked in the labs? Should they be considered part of the organized crime enterprise? Prosecution •What investigative and prosecution tools were used against Nicky Barnes? Would seizing Barnes’ assets (e.g., his house, cars, and labs) have been a better deterrent over the long term? •Explain whether these tools proved to be effective or ineffective? What makes you think so? •If you were the prosecutor in this case, would you have used the RICO Act? Explain why or why not. •What were the defense strategies used in the case? The Big Picture •Is Barnes’ type of organized crime generally increasing or declining? •How did changes or shifts in the criminal activities of Nicky Barnes compare with broader changes in organized crime documented by the two Presidential Organized Crime Commissions? •How did Barnes’ organization compare with other groups carrying out the same kinds of crimes?
#Investigation #Prosecution
