9781422284094

Words to Understand Acquit: to discharge completely from an accusation Alibi: the plea of having been elsewhere than at the place where a certain act was committed Commute: to change a penalty to another one less severe Embezzlement: taking money for one’s own use in violation of trust Garrote: to strangle someone using a thin wire with handles at either end Parole: a conditional release of a prisoner serving an indeterminate or unexpired sentence Racketeering: the branch of organized crime that obtains money by fraud or extortion The Disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa

James Riddle Hoffa was vice president of the powerful Teamsters Union when he was called before a Senate inquiry, the McClellan Committee, in 1957, to testify against charges that he had made improper use of union funds.

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