# Is it against the law to use the telephone to plan a conspiracy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 26, 2000, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-the-law-to-use-the-telephone-to-plan-a-conspiracy/6565 "2000-01-26T22:24:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2000, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-the-law-to-use-the-telephone-to-plan-a-conspiracy/6565/1 "2000-01-26T22:24:00Z")
Looking for the article I read where it said this man was convicted of just that. Anyone ever heard of this? ---
**Author:** ![J\_String](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@J\_String](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J_String)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2000, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-the-law-to-use-the-telephone-to-plan-a-conspiracy/6565/2 "2000-01-26T22:53:00Z")
Conspiring to commit a crime is generally illegal, period. Doesn’t matter if you use telephone, e-mail, snail mail pony express, or carrier pigeon. A medium-specific crime… well, I suppose one [bold]could[/bold] exist. ---
**Author:** ![J\_String](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@J\_String](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J_String)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2000, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-the-law-to-use-the-telephone-to-plan-a-conspiracy/6565/3 "2000-01-26T22:56:00Z")
Dammit, I’ll get the code right one of these days. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2000, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-the-law-to-use-the-telephone-to-plan-a-conspiracy/6565/4 "2000-01-26T23:27:00Z")
I agree with JString. I would only add that there are medium-specif offences, such as wire fraud and mail fraud. I wouldn’t be surprised if the US federal government didn’t have an offence of conspiracy by telephone, etc., because inter-state commerce is often the “hook” the Congress uses to allow it to create a federal crime. Melin, DSYoungEsq - any thoughts? * * * and the stars o’erhead were dancing heel to toe ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2000, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-the-law-to-use-the-telephone-to-plan-a-conspiracy/6565/5 "2000-01-27T05:14:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Dammit, I’ll get the code right one of these days. You have to leave a space between the text and the [bold] bracket [/bold] around the control character (quote/italics/bold). * * * **FixedBack** “Misers get up early in the morning; and burglars, I am informed, get up the night before.”~~\*G.K.Chesterton \* ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2000, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-the-law-to-use-the-telephone-to-plan-a-conspiracy/6565/6 "2000-01-27T05:23:00Z")
> [@](#): > > You have to leave a space between the text and the [bold] bracket [/bold] around the control character (quote/italics/bold). Dammit! :o That should’ve been: You have to leave a space between the text and the \*\* bracket \*\* around the control character (quote/italics/bold). \*\* FixedBack \*\* - The blind leading the blind. \* ---
**Author:** ![ChrisCTP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@ChrisCTP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisCTP)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2000, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-the-law-to-use-the-telephone-to-plan-a-conspiracy/6565/7 "2000-01-27T05:40:00Z")
Totally off-topic, but relating to the hijack: I’ve never put a space between the bracket and the text. UBB code is explained just to the left of your reply box… 😉 * * * “…being normal is not necessarily a virtue. It rather denotes a lack of courage.” ---
**Author:** ![EvilGhandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@EvilGhandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilGhandi)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2000, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-against-the-law-to-use-the-telephone-to-plan-a-conspiracy/6565/8 "2000-01-27T08:09:00Z")
Unhajacking the thread, but still being a smartass. If a man was convicted of breaking a law, it does stand to reason that the law exists. Of course that only answers the question in the topic header. To the question in the body, Yes. I have heard it is illegal to use the telephone to further a criminal activity.