General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTaken-Under civil forfeiture, Americans who haven’t been charged with crimes can be stripped of
their cash, cars, and even homes. Is that all were losing?
(This is a long but eye-opening read. Even if you have read about civil forfeitures, the scope of the problem as recounted in this article is astounding. It is also frightening and beyond outrageous.
What kind of country have we become? Not one I am particulry proud of on too many occasions.)
On a bright Thursday afternoon in 2007, Jennifer Boatright, a waitress at a Houston bar-and-grill, drove with her two young sons and her boyfriend, Ron Henderson, on U.S. 59 toward Linden, Hendersons home town, near the Texas-Louisiana border. They made the trip every April, at the first signs of spring, to walk the local wildflower trails and spend time with Hendersons father. This year, theyd decided to buy a used car in Linden, which had plenty for sale, and so they bundled their cash savings in their cars center console. Just after dusk, they passed a sign that read Welcome to Tenaha: A little town with BIG Potential!
They pulled into a mini-mart for snacks. When they returned to the highway ten minutes later, Boatright, a honey-blond Texas redneck from Lubbock, by her own reckoning, and Henderson, who is Latino, noticed something strange. The same police car that their eleven-year-old had admired in the mini-mart parking lot was trailing them. Near the city limits, a tall, bull-shouldered officer named Barry Washington pulled them over.
He asked if Henderson knew that hed been driving in the left lane for more than half a mile without passing.
No, Henderson replied. He said hed moved into the left lane so that the police car could make its way onto the highway.
Were there any drugs in the car? When Henderson and Boatright said no, the officer asked if he and his partner could search the car.
<Snip>
Much more: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/08/12/130812fa_fact_stillman
smh.....
I have no more hair left to catch on fire. I am not out of outrage. I am just exhausted from having it elicited 24/7.
dkf
(37,305 posts)How is this not stealing? Outrageous.
More and more evidence certain Government agencies, local and Federal, are out of control
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)Oooh Ooooh Ooooh Ooooooooh
dipsydoodle
(42,239 posts)HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)OneGrassRoot
(22,920 posts)"I am not out of outrage. I am just exhausted from having it elicited 24/7."
K&R
kwijybo
(225 posts)That's how long this has been going on. When it started, if I recall correctly,TX and LA were the worst places for this.
The really bad part of this is that to get your money or property back will cost about $15k-$25k, so if it isn't worth that...
JHB
(37,152 posts)Last edited Wed Aug 7, 2013, 05:39 PM - Edit history (1)
...but in practice it's a tool for localities to shake down anyone who doesn't look to have enough clout to fight back.
(Edited to generalize -- not just out-of-towers)
My only surprise is for A QUARTER CENTURY now the public hasn't gotten upset enough to stop this.
hootinholler
(26,449 posts)Warren Stupidity
(48,181 posts)I know one thing: this is not going to end well.
Sotf
(76 posts)... and the pure belief that anyone going through his area should have to justify to him whether or not they should keep X property.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)7962
(11,841 posts)this shit is ridiculous. I remember writing a paper on this in high school years ago when it first started. Its unconstitutional dammit. They wouldnt take their TV or microwave or anything else they may be carrying. It's fine if you're convicted of drug running, but this is a cash cow.
One of my jobs is to load private ATM machines. On those days I may be carrying 30-50K with me, along with a gun. I have been through traffic stops but never asked to be searched. I've often wondered if they would try to take MY money. I always carry my receipt from the bank showing the withdrawal, as well as a list of machines I'll be visiting, etc. But I bet if I passed through that shithole town they'd probably STILL try to take it.
This must stop. As more of these stories become public, more and more of the "get tough on drugs" crowd ARE changing their mind. My parents are 2 examples; after seeing a local story of the cops taking over 100k from a driver on I-75 pulled over for a "window tint violation", but never charged with anything. My dad said "well, if they think he's a drug dealer why didnt they arrest him?" I said because they only wanted the money. Both my folks said "Thats not right". Its a start
JoeyT
(6,785 posts)"Protect and Serve" became "Stand and deliver!" quite a while back.
Nevernose
(13,081 posts)"Arrested" the cash of several people coming or going through Las Vegas. It never occurred to the brain trust at Metro that there might, just possibly, be a reason people coming to Vegas had large amounts of cash that wasn't drug-related.
They still use asset forfeiture pretty heavily in some neighborhoods (I'm sure y'all can guess the predominant skin color in those neighborhoods), but at least they've learned to leave the tourists alone for stuff like that.
bunnies
(15,859 posts)I learned this while taking criminal law in high school.
avaistheone1
(14,626 posts)This practice gives me the chills. I am positively ill over it.
bunnies
(15,859 posts)I dont know how it isnt stealing. Especially when someone hasnt committed a crime. And if you *do* commit a crime forget it. They can take everything you own. They dont even have to prove it was purchased using money from illegal activities. Talk about a motive for setting people up. Its disgusting.
avaistheone1
(14,626 posts)Law enforcement that is supposed to be protecting the people, at the same time motivated and sanctioned by their jobs to steal real valuables from the most vulnerable members of the public.
Chilling and disgusting.
bunnies
(15,859 posts)Yet the wonder why so many people arent fans of Police. hmmm. People with guns and power who can lie with impunity and steal our stuff? Whats not to love?
avaistheone1
(14,626 posts)from the poor and working class to the government and to law enforcement.
That's immoral and wrong on every level.
Lifelong Protester
(8,421 posts)Just read the article in the New Yorker. I admit (some) ignorance before reading this. Wow, this is a "wake the hell up" read for sure.