Unlawful Search Suit Settled After RICO Countersuit

In Washington state, in 1986, police entered the homes of two Roma families on a faulty warrant and searched family members – including a baby – who were not the subjects of the warrant. The families sought $59 million in damages, and the city and county countersued in federal court, alleging violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).

The district court dismissed the RICO counterclaims two years later. In 1997, 11 years after the unlawful search, the city paid $1.43 million to settle the case. 

See Marks v. Clarke, 102 F.3d 1012 (1997).