Predicate Act Law and Legal Definition
A Predicate Act means:
An earlier offense that can be used to enhance a sentence levied for a later conviction.
A crime, which is composed of some of the elements of a more serious crime and which is committed for carrying out the greater crime.
Under RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) one of two or more related acts of racketeering necessary to establish a pattern. Predicate acts are related if they have the same or similar purposes, results, participants, victims, or methods of commission, or otherwise are interrelated by distinguishing characteristics and are not isolated events. Extortion and blackmail are examples of RICO predicate acts.
