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Asset forfeiture for fun and profit
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Administrator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: California
Status:
Offline
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Someone captured some police seminars on how to get the most out of asset forfeiture. The tapes (full video in at least one case) were turned over to The New York Times. Were our fearless blue protectors concerned about the financial hits to innocent owners? Did they warn each other against addiction to easy cash?
Of course not. They advised each other on pocketing as much as possible. And picking citizens for stopping, based on what goodies someone wanted that day. Expensive car, nice flat-screen TV in the back, cash. Especially cash.
Officials offered advice on dealing with skeptical judges, mocked Hispanics whose cars were seized, and made comments that, the Institute for Justice said, gave weight to the argument that civil forfeiture encourages decisions based on the value of the assets to be seized rather than public safety. In the Georgia session, the prosecutor leading the talk boasted that he had helped roll back a Republican-led effort to reform civil forfeiture in Georgia, where seized money has been used by the authorities, according to news reports, to pay for sports tickets, office parties, a home security system and a $90,000 sports car.
It's not theft when it's legal. Get it while the getting is good. To anyone reading, you can get some too. Departments are always hiring, and we all know neighbors with really nice cars. A minor violation later, and the car is yours.
New York Times article, including video. Warning: there's a paywall if you've reached 10 articles in a month.
TechDirt article on the NYT story, no video. But no paywall either.
Normally I have fun with reports like these. But they're really hurting normal people, then joking about it. These clowns need their assets taken, along with many years of their lives.
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Games Meister
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Eternity
Status:
Offline
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Just a few months ago there was that video of the cop shaking down a dude in a basketball court and pocketing like $400 (or $2k, I don't remember) without any arrest, charges, etc. Video hit the airwaves and the police said they didn't have the money as evidence or whatever. Not sure I ever heard a resolution to that story.
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Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Polwaristan
Status:
Offline
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The Washington Post is really owning it (no pun intended) on the forfeiture pieces. NYT playing catch-up like usual on most topics except hipster nightlife. This particular piece, however, was quality, but I recommend WaPo's series especially:
Stop and Seize | Collections | The Washington Post
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: planning a comeback !
Status:
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This has been going on for years.
Shows that we're not a nation of laws anymore.
Russia is laughing at has really hard.
-t
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Moderator
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Hilbert space
Status:
Offline
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John Oliver had a bit about this a few weeks back. I have to say, that's really scary stuff.
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I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
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