HOLDER ‘DE-INCENTIVIZES’ COPS ON DRUG WAR SEIZURES

Breitbart ^ | 01/18/2015 | Chriss W. Street

[Boiler Plate]

Attorney General Eric Holder announced he is terminating the Justice Department’s three-decade-old civil asset forfeiture program called Equitable Sharing that allowed state and local law enforcement agencies to keep 80% of cash, vehicles, real estate and other assets seized under federal drug laws before formal warrants or criminal charges were filed.

[Boiler Plate]

Just a coincidence that both the Post and NPR started hammer on this?

[Little Ray]

This is good news. I can’t believe I actually LIKE something Holder is doing!
Or maybe he just wants the Federales to keep it all?

[KoRn]

I believe this is actually a GOOD thing, on its face. I’m sure there’s probably a devil in the details.

In the fine print, now everything confiscated will probably go to the feds instead. lol

[DannyTN]

"three-decade-old civil asset forfeiture program "

30 years to get our constitutional rights back.

[House Atreides]

I’m pretty sure that the racist Holder received stats pointing out that blacks have been disproportionately affected by these asset seizures and therefore is trying to discourage them.

Whatever his motivation, it was the right decision.

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

Here in Maine, asset forfeiture is more difficult than in other states.

Even more important, police departments and sheriff departments aren’t allowed to profit.....all money from seized assets go to the state’s general fund.

[DannyTN]

And congress which should have slapped this down the minute it popped up, has voted present all that time.

[Boogieman]

Good start. Now what about all the other, non-drug related forfeitures that are going on? When will those be stopped?

[dennisw]

The devil is in the details!!!! Distrust and verify when it comes to this crew

[Vendome]

It will be federalized....

[ConservingFreedom]

"The US Attorney General’s action does not limit what police can still do under their own state laws, but Equitable Sharing required most seizures to go directly to local cops. A number of states require assets seized under state law to go into the state’s general fund."

Letting cops keep what they seize is like letting the IRS keep income tax money.

[Gluteus Maximus]

Ditto

[KoRn]

What I don’t understand is if I just won the lottery, and wanted to have $200,000 cash in the trunk of my car just for the hell of it(as FOOLISH as that may be), WHY should I have to PROVE where it came from, or have it confiscated?

I’m sorry, but that SHOULD NOT happen in a FREE country.

[MortMan]

They probably are not stopping the forfeitures.

They probably are stopping the high-percentage sharing of the take with local law enforcement.

[Boiler Plate]

Agreed.

[KarlInOhio]

all money from seized assets go to the state’s general fund.

Does that include money seized by the federales? Part of this scam is on a combined state/federal or city/federal raid is that the federal prosecutors do the actual seizure and then return 80% to the local police. Since the local police didn't do the actual seizure the state asset forfeiture laws often don't apply. Essentially the local cops spend 20% to launder the money so they can keep it.

[Boiler Plate]

It will all go to the Feds, but then there isn’t any more incentive for local Cops to entice folks into their traps.

[Little Ray]

That sounds more like Holder and the Feds. They just want to keep it all.

[Boiler Plate]

Good question. More importantly why did this suddenly come about?

[Boiler Plate]

Letting cops keep what they seize is like letting the IRS keep income tax money.

Exactly.