Posted on 04/12/2010 11:37:26 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Police and prosecutors’ offices seize private property—often without ever charging the owners with a crime — then keep or sell what they’ve taken and use the profits to fund their budgets. And considering law enforcement officials in most states don’t report the value of what they collect or how that bounty is spent, the issue raises serious questions about both government transparency and accountability.
Under state and federal civil asset forfeiture laws, law enforcement agencies can seize and keep property suspected of involvement in criminal activity. Unlike criminal asset forfeiture, however, with civil forfeiture, a property owner need not be found guilty of a crime—or even charged—to permanently lose her cash, car, home or other property.
According to the Institute for Justice civil asset forfeiture is one of the worst abuses of property rights today. The Institute has released a national study on civil forfeiture abuse. The report—Policing for Profit: The Abuse of Civil Asset Forfeiture - is the most comprehensive national study to examine the use and abuse of civil asset forfeiture and the first study to grade the civil forfeiture laws of all 50 states and the federal government. The report finds that by giving law enforcement a direct financial incentive in pursuing forfeitures and stacking the legal deck against property owners, most state and federal laws encourage policing for profit rather than seeking the neutral administration of justice. (For additional resources on this report, visit: http://www.ij.org/PolicingForProfit. For a brief video on this topic, visit: www.ij.org/Forfeiture.)
The problem is growing. For example, in 2008, for the first time in its history, the Department of Justice’s forfeiture fund topped $1 billion in assets taken from property owners and now available to law enforcement. State data reveal that state and local law enforcement also use forfeiture extensively: From 2001 to 2002, currency forfeitures alone in just nine states totaled more than $70 million. Considering this measure excludes cars and other forfeited property as well as forfeiture estimates from many states for which data were unreliable or that did not make data available for those years, this already-large figure represents just the tip of the forfeiture iceberg.
Read the full report at the Institute for Justice Web site
I’m seeing more tow trucks accompanying CHP cruisers along major highways in Silicon Valley than ever. They’re looking for cars with expired plates, which means lots of fees split between the towing company and the CHP.
Give Pee Wee back his stuff.
Yeah, but it is done in the name of the War On Drugs, so it’s o.k.
Don't confuse anarchy with patriotism.
I really would like to have an original of that poster. It will be worth something someday.
I haven’t even seen that yet.
Indeed. What makes it poignant, is that it’s based on true events:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wineville_Chicken_Coop_Murders
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4097602514885833865#
I’m sure you’ve watched this. I’m posting the link for those who might not have.
Ping to #28.
Enjoy!
I can’t play videos on this machine. Thanks, though.
Maybe you can tell me what’s on the video? Thx.
“”The lowest-graded states overall, combining both poor laws and aggressive use of equitable sharing, are Georgia, Michigan, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Each received overall grades of D-.””
Bookmark
It’s about what you said. It’s an entire lecture by a lawyer and a police chief, explaining the legal provisions that keep an accused at the best advantage, by not talking to the police.
It is an excellent lecture, and I insist you save the link and watch the entire video, whenever possible. It is extremely educational.
Thank you.
I will indeed save the link. If we ever find the restore disk for the new computer we can put this 10 yr. old POS back in moth balls.
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