Bipolar disorder, which used to be called manic depressive illness or manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by wide mood swings from high (manic) to low (depressed). Periods of high or irritable mood are called manic episodes.
James Byrd, Jr. was not engaged in a federally-protected activity when he was lynched and killed. The Matthew Shepard Act expanded the 1969 Federal Hate Crime Law to cover these and other types of brutal murders.
Share on Google Plus. In order to make it easier to prosecute organized crime, in 1970 Congress passed the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations law (RICO). Under RICO, it is a federal crime to participate in or make money from racketeering (organized, illegal activity).