Colorado § 18-17-102 Legislative declaration

Colorado Statutes

§ 18-17-102 — Legislative declaration

Colorado·Title 18 Criminal·Art. Colorado Organized Crime

The general assembly hereby finds that
organized crime in the state of Colorado, as well as nationwide, is a highly
sophisticated, diversified, and widespread activity that annually consumes millions
of dollars locally and billions of dollars nationally from this state's and the nation's
economy through unlawful conduct and the illegal use of force, fraud, and
corruption. Organized crime derives a major portion of its power through money
procured from such illegal endeavors as syndicated and organized gambling, loan-sharking, the theft of property and fencing of stolen property, the illegal
importation, manufacture, and distribution of drugs and other controlled
substances, and other forms of social exploitation. This money and power are
increasingly being used to infiltrate and c

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The general assembly hereby finds that
organized crime in the state of Colorado, as well as nationwide, is a highly
sophisticated, diversified, and widespread activity that annually consumes millions
of dollars locally and billions of dollars nationally from this state's and the nation's
economy through unlawful conduct and the illegal use of force, fraud, and
corruption. Organized crime derives a major portion of its power through money
procured from such illegal endeavors as syndicated and organized gambling, loan-sharking, the theft of property and fencing of stolen property, the illegal
importation, manufacture, and distribution of drugs and other controlled
substances, and other forms of social exploitation. This money and power are
increasingly being used to infiltrate and corrupt legitimate business and labor
organizations and to subvert and corrupt our democratic processes. Organized
crime activities within this state weaken the stability of this state's and the nation's
economy, harm innocent investors and competing organizations, impede free
competition, threaten the peace and health of the public, endanger the domestic
security, and undermine the general welfare of the state and its citizens. The
general assembly further finds that organized crime continues to grow and flourish
because of defects in the evidence-gathering process of the law which inhibits the
development and use of the legally admissible evidence necessary to bring criminal
and other sanctions or remedies to bear on the unlawful activities of those engaged
in organized crime and because the sanctions and remedies presently available to
the state are unnecessarily limited in scope and impact. Therefore, the general
assembly declares that it is the purpose of this article to seek the eradication of
organized crime in this state by strengthening the legal tools in the evidence-gathering process, by establishing new penal prohibitions, and by providing
enhanced sanctions and new remedies to deal with the unlawful activities of those
engaged in organized crime.