Steven Greenhut
Attorney General Jeff Sessions places so much trust in the noble motives of government bureaucrats that he wants them to protect their powers to take your cars, cash, homes, and other property simply on their say-so. Cops don’t need to convict you of anything — they can simply take your property if they suspect it has been used in any sort of crime. And they can use the money to buy fancy new vehicles for the SWAT team or to remodel the office.
The process is known as civil asset forfeiture, and it’s one of the most obnoxious and un-American policies imaginable. Remember those old Southern speed traps, where police agencies build their budgets off of unsuspecting out-of-staters driving a few miles over the speed limit? Well, asset forfeiture puts those second-rate operations to shame.
Speaking to the National Sheriffs’ Association in Washington, D.C. last month, Sessions said that “civil asset forfeiture is a key tool that helps law enforcement defund organized crime, take back ill-gotten gains, and prevent new crimes from being committed.” He said it “takes the material support of the criminals and makes it the material support of law enforcement.”...........There are endless examples of the misuse of this process. If, say, someone steals your car and takes it for a joyride, the government can then take that car — even though you had nothing to do with the crime that was committed with the vehicle.
The courts are filled with cases with names such as, The State of California v. a 1997 Buick LeSabre. Prosecutors aren’t targeting owners, who would then get the chance to appear in court. They file suit against the inanimate object, which then allows them to take it and give themselves big bonuses............To Read More.....
Speaking to the National Sheriffs’ Association in Washington, D.C. last month, Sessions said that “civil asset forfeiture is a key tool that helps law enforcement defund organized crime, take back ill-gotten gains, and prevent new crimes from being committed.” He said it “takes the material support of the criminals and makes it the material support of law enforcement.”...........There are endless examples of the misuse of this process. If, say, someone steals your car and takes it for a joyride, the government can then take that car — even though you had nothing to do with the crime that was committed with the vehicle.
The courts are filled with cases with names such as, The State of California v. a 1997 Buick LeSabre. Prosecutors aren’t targeting owners, who would then get the chance to appear in court. They file suit against the inanimate object, which then allows them to take it and give themselves big bonuses............To Read More.....
No comments:
Post a Comment