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Legalized Highway Robbery – How the Government can Seize the Property of Innocent Americans
American Legislator ^ | 9-15-14 | Cara Sullivan

Posted on 09/16/2014 2:07:00 PM PDT by ThethoughtsofGreg

Last week, The Washington Post published “Stop and Seize,” a three-part series chronicling the government’s seizure of hundreds of millions of dollars in cash from Americans not charged with a crime.

Asset forfeiture laws are designed to protect the public and deter crime by taking property gained through criminal activity. However, criminals are not the only ones who have their property confiscated. According to The Washington Post, since 2001, police have seized $2.5 billion in cash from people who were never charged with a crime. Law enforcement must retain their ability to prevent criminals from bearing the fruits of criminal activity, but individuals not charged with a crime should not be at risk to have their property confiscated.

Under civil forfeiture laws, the government can seize an individual’s assets simply if the property is suspected to be involved in criminal behavior. This differs from criminal forfeiture laws in that, under civil forfeiture, the owner does not need to be charged with a crime to have the property taken.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanlegislator.org ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: constitution; economics; law; police; wod
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1 posted on 09/16/2014 2:07:00 PM PDT by ThethoughtsofGreg
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To: ThethoughtsofGreg

It’s no big deal. All property rightfully belongs to the government anyway.


2 posted on 09/16/2014 2:11:38 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum ("The man who damns money obtained it dishonorably; the man who respects it earned it." --Ayn Rand)
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To: ThethoughtsofGreg

It was fine when they were just doing it to the drug people.


3 posted on 09/16/2014 2:15:28 PM PDT by Wolfie
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Happens ALL THE TIME!
As a defense attorney it can be very frustrating to help people get their property back after they have been exonerated.
There is rarely any accountability, and there is very sparse support for changing the system.
Most people are valve and believe that if they are decent law abiding citizens then they need not worry.
Nothing could be further from the truth.


4 posted on 09/16/2014 2:16:33 PM PDT by Clump ( the tree of liberty is withering like a stricken fig tree)
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To: Clump

All of this brought to you by George H. W. Bush and Henry Hyde.

Thanks for nothing, boys.


5 posted on 09/16/2014 2:17:54 PM PDT by Lurker (Violence is rarely the answer. But when it is it is the only answer.)
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To: Clump

We have ample evidence that government is the greediest, most corrupt and murderous force on Earth.


6 posted on 09/16/2014 2:20:14 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum ("The man who damns money obtained it dishonorably; the man who respects it earned it." --Ayn Rand)
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Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: E. Pluribus Unum

“It’s no big deal. All property rightfully belongs to the government anyway.”

It sure does and so do the people. You can be confiscated by
the federal government and put to work with no compensation.
Actually that is the part of the faith and credit of the
United States, our governments ability to tax an individuals
directly and confiscate property at will. That’s the only reason
the FED will loan us money. You and your ASSets are
belong to us.


8 posted on 09/16/2014 2:26:52 PM PDT by Slambat (q)
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To: Slambat

Too bad we don’t have constitutional government and the rule of law anymore.


9 posted on 09/16/2014 2:27:48 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum ("The man who damns money obtained it dishonorably; the man who respects it earned it." --Ayn Rand)
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To: ThethoughtsofGreg

A big irony here is this often hits the “I’m not doing anything illegal so I don’t have to worry” crowd. Those idiots will consent to searches, and if you consent to a search, the fruits will/can fall under civil forfeiture...


10 posted on 09/16/2014 2:29:04 PM PDT by Axenolith (Government blows, and that which governs least, blows least...)
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To: ThethoughtsofGreg

This highlights one of the big problems with liberals; they want to take the responsibility we have for protecting ourselves and give that responsibility to the government (police or military). When you give that responsibility away, you give away your liberty. I’m hoping that public perception of the cops shifts from the fallacious “boo-hoo, they hate black and brown people” to the reasonable “they’re a waste of money, and I can do the job better myself without a cushy union paycheck”, and I also hope that any cop who tries to infringe on a citizen’s property without a warrant gets an unceremonious .577 round to their noggins.


11 posted on 09/16/2014 2:45:09 PM PDT by Objective Scrutator (All liberals are criminals, and all criminals are liberals)
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To: ThethoughtsofGreg

I know someone who kept their savings in the form of bank cashier’s checks. Got into a divorce fight so she was carrying them in her purse. Husband called police and claimed domestic assault. Police went through her purse and seized the cashier checks and her drivers license. No search warrant.

Took a week to get just a paper copy of the driver’s license. Took a lawyer to get the real license back and the cashier checks.

Fortunately a lawyer took her case, even though she was penniless due to the asset seizure.


12 posted on 09/16/2014 2:47:50 PM PDT by DannyTN
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Yea evidence way beyond a reasonable doubt. Guilty.
So what now?


13 posted on 09/16/2014 2:53:16 PM PDT by Clump ( the tree of liberty is withering like a stricken fig tree)
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To: Clump

“It’s no big deal. All property rightfully belongs to the government anyway.”......

Give credence to odumbo’s statement, “You didn’t build that”, doesn’t it?


14 posted on 09/16/2014 2:57:50 PM PDT by DaveA37
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To: DaveA37

Yea no joke.
And when Dems talk about tax cuts they often refer to it as an expense to the government.
The premise is that anything we own and/ or is NOT taxed is a gift from the government to the individual.
Very twisted and evil people running things.


15 posted on 09/16/2014 3:05:02 PM PDT by Clump ( the tree of liberty is withering like a stricken fig tree)
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To: ThethoughtsofGreg

My tagline.


16 posted on 09/16/2014 3:19:42 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (The cure has become worse than the disease. Support an end to the WOD now.)
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To: ThethoughtsofGreg

Forfeiture laws are criminal themselves.


17 posted on 09/16/2014 3:39:26 PM PDT by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy Yourself ala Louis Prima)
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To: Clump

“Most people are valve...”????????


18 posted on 09/16/2014 3:40:19 PM PDT by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy Yourself ala Louis Prima)
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To: Objective Scrutator

Boom!


19 posted on 09/16/2014 3:55:23 PM PDT by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy Yourself ala Louis Prima)
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To: Vendome

That gave me pause too.

I think he meant naïve...


20 posted on 09/16/2014 4:46:41 PM PDT by MV=PY (The Magic Question: Who's paying for it?)
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