Rural Nevada sheriff defends I-80 drug stops
Source: Associated Press
A rural Nevada sheriff is defending the practice of stopping suspected drug traffickers on U.S. Interstate 80 and confiscating tens of thousands of dollars even if no criminal charges are filed.
Reports that two men had filed lawsuits in federal court against the county stirred concerns among Humboldt County residents that deputies are making illegal searches and seizures along I-80 in the high desert near Winnemucca about 165 miles east of Reno.
Humboldt County Sheriff Ed Kilgore said he can’t discuss case details, but he wants to assure residents the stops are legal and not intended to shake down unsuspecting visitors. He said that civil forfeitures are legal if an arresting officer suspects the individual obtained — or intends to use — the money illegally.
... The federal plaintiffs from California and Colorado tell strikingly similar stories about their stops near Winnemucca in September and December. No drugs were found or arrests made, but both say they were told they’d be released with their vehicles only if they forfeited their cash in violation of their constitutional rights.
Read more: http://www.rgj.com/viewart/20140312/NEWS01/303120080/Rural-Nevada-sheriff-defends-80-drug-stops
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