California legal term
Organized crime in California Criminal Law
Current through 2026 California legislative session
In California criminal law, “Organized crime” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the California criminal code.
What does “Organized crime” mean in California criminal law?
“Organized crime” means crime that is of a conspiratorial nature and that is either of an organized nature and seeks to supply illegal goods or services such as narcotics, prostitution, pimping and pandering, loan-sharking, counterfeiting of a registered mark in violation of Section 350, the piracy of a recording or audiovisual work in violation of Section 653w, gambling, and pornography, or that, through planning and coordination of individual efforts, seeks to conduct the illegal activities of arson for profit, hijacking, insurance fraud, smuggling, operating vehicle theft rings, fraud again (Cal. Penal Code § 186.2)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.