Attorneys for a crime family claim no action means no crime.
The Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday in Delligatti v. United States regarding the definition of a “crime of violence” as outlined by federal law.
Salvatore Delligatti, an associate of a Genovese crime family in New York, had hired Crips street gang members to kill a local “bully.” Police intervened before the plot was carried out, and Delligatti was arrested and convicted of firearm possession and a “crime of violence.” His defense is seeking to remove the violence charge from the conviction since physical force was not used under the federal law’s definition.
Supreme Court justices questioned the argument, asking both the defense and the prosecution many hypothetical questions exploring the limitations of a “crime of violence.”
Arguments will continue over the coming days, and the Supreme Court will likely issue a decision near the end of the current term.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Chief Justice Roberts to receive God’s guidance as he presides over the Supreme Court.
- For discernment for the justices as they hear and deliberate the cases on their docket.
Sources: The Hill, Jurist
