Codispoti

The Feminist Women’s Health Center, Beverly Whipple, Diane Hale, Kimberly Boyd and Deborah Barton (the “Center”) brought this action seeking treble damages under the civil provisions of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1962 (c) and (d) (“RICO”). The Center provided abortions as well as other health services. The Center complained that Dottie Roberts and Sharon Codispoti (“appellants”), and Curtis Beseda, in association with others that constituted an enterprise, had engaged in a campaign to close the clinic. The Center alleged that these named persons committed the predicate acts of arson, extortion, and attempted extortion, under the Hobbs Act, and that these acts constituted a pattern of racketeering activity within the meaning of RICO section 1962(c). The Center also alleged that these named persons conspired to violate section 1962(c), which is a violation of section 1962(d). The activities that were allegedly designed to close the clinic continued over a period of eight months during which three fires were set in the elinie. The last fire destroyed the clinic and it did not reopen. Beseda was convicted of violating both section 1962(c) and…