Opinion ID: 3184502
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Existence of a RICO Enterprise

Text: Here, Appellees urge that Goldenstein cannot satisfy other RICO elements, specifically that he cannot prove the existence of an “enterprise” because Appellees consisted of an “ad hoc group of entities that were connected solely for the purpose of repossessing plaintiff’s vehicle,” Appellees’ Br. 27, and that he cannot establish that Appellees possessed the mens rea they argue is required by RICO. The District Court did not address these arguments, which is unsurprising, given that, as Appellees conceded at oral argument, they did not raise them in their motion for summary judgment. See Oral Argument at 31:17–32:10 (argued May 20, 2015). As a general rule, “a federal appellate court does not consider an issue not passed upon below.” Singleton v. Wulff, 428 U.S. 106, 120 (1976). While we may make exceptions “when the factual record is developed and the issues provide purely legal questions, upon which an appellate court exercises plenary review,” we will remand “when the issue to be addressed is not a purely legal question,” requiring either “the exercise of discretion or fact finding.” Hudson United Bank v. LiTenda Mort. Corp., 142 F.3d 151, 159 (3d Cir. 1998). Here, the record is not sufficiently developed for us to consider the merits of the parties’ arguments as to the alleged enterprise or mens rea. In light of Appellees’ failure to raise these arguments until their responsive brief on appeal, Goldenstein did not have the opportunity to supplement the factual record on those points, nor to fully brief them for us or 13 the District Court. Under these circumstances, we will leave these issues for the District Court to consider in the first instance on remand.