Despite Being Acquitted of Murder, Vague RICO Language Keeps Martin Taccetta Behind Bars

Martin Taccetta was given an "unconstitutional" life sentence in 1993 based on vague language in a New Jersey sentencing provision. He continues to fight back...

An “unconstitutionally vague” New Jersey state law may be the reason Martin Taccetta is serving a life sentence for two second-degree extortion convictions related to a murder charge he was acquitted of in 1993.

In a recent filing with the appellate division of New Jersey Superior Court, attorney Lawrence Lustberg wrote that “despite being acquitted of having any involvement” in the 1984 murder of Vincent Craporatta, prosecutors were able to “manipulate RICO sentencing provisions” in order to sentence Taccetta to life imprisonment “just as if he had as if he had been convicted of that murder.”

Read more of the article here:

https://defendantdigest.com/martin-tacetta-acquitted-of-murder-serving-life/

Isn’t that part of the federal sentencing guidelines and a judges discretion at sentencing..where they can sentence you over and above the guidelines if they feel your guilty of crimes you weren’t convicted of. I think Tacetta murder charge was found not proven which technically is different than not guilty...Ie the Colombo guy who got 50 years for Racketeering even though he was found not proven of the charge of the cop killing..
Also wasn’t he convicted of the John Redman murder?
I know he was also arrested in 1976 of killing a guy in a disco and stabbing him to death, Believe he was a civilian and the son of a state senator....

Marty got such an unfair sentence, it really defies both the laws of logic and fairness. He should be out of prison.

Agreed. The Federal Rico Statues, and many States local 'Racketeering Statues' that were modeled after Rico are unjust and draconian in their interpretations and applications.

But like the old saying goes, "Ya can't fight city hall"

And the government has no intention of revamping these laws because they have been so successful in dismantling criminal organizations, be they the mafia, the cartels, corporate frauds, etc.

Sounds like a great guy.

@NYmafia you think he should be out of prison even though he did multiple other murders including stabbing to death an innocent civilian in a bar fight??

This is the only thing I'm going to say - You need to check your facts.

Ok..fair enough can you please explain how my facts were “incorrect”?
And just cause someone was acquitted doesn’t mean they didn’t do it...Vinny Asaro was acquitted of Lufthansa but he did it....
A notorious multiple murdering mobster is probably the wrong vehicle for an innocence project,no?
There’s plenty of guys out there that have been wrongly convicted but someone who pledged to live a life of crime until they’re last breath isn’t one of them...
Not to mention after a decade of being locked up and released in the 2000s he immediately jumped right back into the game....people that are remorseful, that have turned over a new leaf don’t immediately upon release start committing crimes for the mafia...
And it wasn’t just this one Murder that he may not have done,it was 10 murders and murder conspiracies....
Not to mention part of the reason his conviction was reinstated is becuase he told a judge he would lie on the stand and do whatever it took to get out of prison
Not saying his conviction for Caparotta is right but I’m a big proponent of self accountability..he chose this life...the good and the bad...who gave him the right to take a life? To separate fathers from they’re families? To prey on human weakness and if they didn’t pay, break they’re legs?
To shoot numbers runners in the head, that were short on payments in Newark?

He's just grabbing at anything he can to get out and I don't blame him for that. However, Marty is not the smartest guy in town. He should have took the plea he was offered at the trial and he'd had been freed years ago. Instead his attorney gave him bad advice which lead to the original sentenced being overturned and him being released due to attorney incompetence. And while out, he was indicted again for new crimes committed after getting out but then the overturn was overturned and back he went. Screw him. Maybe it wasn't proven but he was present for Craparotta's death which was suppose to only be a beating but things got a little outta hand. There's allot more and BTW Craparotta is an interesting story as well.

No reason for that guy to get killed. It was stupidity up and down the line. And now Taccetta's paying with his life. Other guys fell on that too. the incident fucked up their whole NJ crew

The bigger problem is that if Gov't violates a wise guys rights today many will say he deserves it , who cares?

However, today is a wiseguy tomorrow it's the average every day Joe, and there,s no stopping them.

Next they might be using RICO, to convict people trying to protest an unfair election.
That will never happen right?

If a jury of your peers finds you NOT GUILTY, your NOT GUILTY according to our founding fathers.

What you say has a lot of validity, and this case has been made by others who also see the potential for more abuse.

100%

M. Taccetta did not have his rights violated. It makes a feel good story to say so but they weren't. You may disagree with the statute used to put him behind bars but is rights were not violated. His defense attorney was not the cream of the crop and he took a a bad deal. Buy a bad car you get a lemon. You hire an incompetent lawyer, you'll get bad advice and end up going to jail for a long long time.