A federal district court has ruled that a racketeering lawsuit against a host of subprime lenders can proceed to trial. The case, Echols et. al. v. A-USA Mortgage Corp., et. al., could create significant new problems for lenders as it raises the specter of new liability under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO. Originally designed as a statute to combat organized crime, RICO has been used increasingly in civil cases in recent