An interesting U.S. Supreme Court case was decided not long in Wyoming. It involved Harvey Robbins, Jr., son of our local philanthropist. Robbins, Jr. tried--unsuccessfully, as it turned out--to claim that the actions of U.S. Government employees engaged in enforcing lease conditions on government grazing land used by Robbins amounted to violation of the Racketeering and Corrupt Organizations (RICO)law, a law best known for (and developed with the intent to) getting at organized crime-related activities. Despite having as his attorney the renowned Lawrence tribe, a Harvard law professor seen frequently 'splaining legal matters on TV, Robbins lost.
Of course the local media did not cover this. When some notable former resident of this area is involved in some notably commendable activity or accomplishment, that kind of news often gets local media coverage ("Look at what our home-town lad has gone off and done!"). But when the scion of a noted local industrial magnate gets caught up in a hotly controversial dust-up with the gummint--even when the case goes to the highest court of the land--it gets snubbed by local media.
The Supremes disagreed with Tribe and Robbins, ruling that RICO decidedly does NOT apply to Robbins' grievance against the civil servants named in his complaint. So-o-o--now it is established that Bureau of Land Management employees, in the course of doing their jobs looking after the PUBLIC's land (whether or not under lease to easterners-turned-cattle barons), are not gangsters!
Here are some useful links to the subject:
http://gristmill.grist.org/print/2007/3/22/84747/8611?show_comments=no
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Frank_Robbins
http://www.oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2006/2006_06_219/
Robbins even secured the legal services of Lawrence Tribe, renowned law professor at Harvard University:
http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=517818
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