DATA ON EXTORTION IN ILLINOIS

• NCJ Number: 59168
• Author(s): J R COLDREN; R A PERRIN
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 19 pages
• Corporate Author: IllinoisCriminal Justice Information Authority
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

DATA AVAILABLE FROM THE POLICE, COURTS, AND CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT ON CRIMES OF EXTORTION IN ILLINOIS ARE DOCUMENTED IN THIS REPORT.

Abstract

EXTORTION CAN BE LOOSELY DEFINED AS ANY THREAT AGAINST THE PERSON OR LIBERTY OF AN INDIVIDUAL, OR AGAINST THE PROPERTY OR REPUTATION OF A PERSON OR CORPORATION, WITH OR WITHOUT THE INTENTION TO DEMAND MONEY OR OTHER OBJECT OF VALUE. SINCE EXTORTION, LABELED 'INTIMIDATION' IN ILLINOIS LAW, HAS NOT BEEN DESIGNATED AS AN INDEX CRIME BY THE FBI, EASILY RETRIEVABLE DATA ON CASES OF EXTORTION ARE SCARCE. ALTHOUGH THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT (DLE) HAS BOTH THE POWER AND RESPONSIBILITY TO COLLECT ARREST AND OFFENSE DATA ON INTIMIDATION AND EXTORTION, DATA ARE INCOMPLETE PROBABLY BECAUSE LOCAL POLICE OFFICIALS CONSIDER DETAILED REPORTING OF NON-INDEX CRIMES TO BE UNIMPORTANT. TABLES SUMMARIZE THE OFFENSE-RELATED DATA AVAILABLE FROM THE DLE, WHICH WILL FILL REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION NOT CONTAINED IN STANDARD REPORTS. FURTHERMORE, THE COURTS PROVIDE VERY LITTLE INFORMATION ON EXTORTION IN THE STATE. CURRENTLY, ONLY A CASE-BY-CASE SEARCH OF THE COURT FILES WILL PROVIDE SUFFICIENT DATA FOR RESEARCH ON EXTORTION CASES IN ILLINOIS COURTS. TABLES REFLECT DATA AVAILABLE FROM THE CRIMINAL DIVISION OF THE COOK COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT ON THE NUMBER OF INFORMATIONS AND INDICTMENTS FILED AND ON THE NUMBER OF DEFENDANTS CHARGED FOR THE CRIME OF INTIMIDATION FOR 1973-1975. ADDITIONAL TABULAR DATA PROVIDE SAMPLES OF THE KINDS OF DATA WHICH MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE U.S. COURTS AND THE SOURCEBOOK OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE STATISTICS; THESE DATA ARE TOTALS FOR THE UNITED STATES WITHIN WHICH ILLINOIS DATA CANNOT BE IDENTIFIED. FINALLY, TABLES SUMMARIZE DATA CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS FOR THE CRIME OF INTIMIDATION. SECTIONS IN THE U.S. CRIMINAL CODE AND THE ILLINOIS REVISED STATUTES PERTAINING TO EXTORTION/INTIMIDATION, DATA SOURCES, AND REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (WJR)