Law Enforcement Loves Legal Larceny

Townhall.com ^ | November 18, 2015 | Jacob Sullum

[dljordan]

“The problem is that they aren’t always applied appropriately, and it innocent citizens are being penalized, without any criminal activity.”

Kind of like Communism, we just haven’t done it right yet.

[USNBandit]

Seizures without an arrest should be made illegal. All seizures during an arrest or due to conviction should then be adjudicated by the courts.

In a federal case there is quite a bit of oversight from the AUSA regarding what to seize, and there is often quite a bit of oversight.

On a slightly humorous note, there was a US attorney that convicted an inner city gentleman for drug trafficking. The seizures post-conviction included his elaborate diamond encrusted gold caps on his teeth. They seized the man's grill. Now that is downright cold.

[Svartalfiar]

Forfeiture laws, when applied appropriately are a good form of justice. The problem is that they aren't always applied appropriately, and it innocent citizens are being penalized, without any criminal activity.

In what what can they be a good form of justice? Any kind of civil forfeiture starts with taking goods or money from someone, requiring no proof of any kind of crime, much less a crime related to the goods! If the city/state wants to confiscate drug money or something like that, they can do it the right way, and charge the people with a crime, and only have the money/items forfeit when they are related to the crime that the person is charged with, and especially, convicted thereof.

[MileHi]

Seizures without an arrest should be made illegal. All seizures during an arrest or due to conviction should then be adjudicated by the courts.

Agreed

[RKBA Democrat]

Cute. Thievery under color of law. And the cops probably wonder why the public isn’t exactly taking a shine to them of late.