Government Steals More than Burglars [semi-satire]

Semi-News/Semi-Satire ^ | 22 Nov 2015 | John Semmens

[John Semmens]

Data for 2014—the latest year available—indicates that burglars absconded with $3.9 billion worth of victims’ property. At the same time, “civil forfeiture” made off with $4.5 billion worth.

The civil forfeiture statute was initially sold as a tool for coping with organized crime. It has morphed into crime wave in which police seize cash from individuals on the slimmest of pretexts and dare the owner to try to get it back through cumbersome and costly procedures.

A favored tactic is to assert that any cash that a person may be carrying was obtained via criminal activity. As proof, police cite the traces of cocaine that can be found on most currency. Washington DC Chief of Police Robyn Moore bragged that “this law is a godsend for police departments everywhere. We don’t have to sit back and wait for a city council to appropriate funds. We can just go out and take it from suspicious characters on the street. With the cocaine traces we have a prima facie case against the cash. It is then up to the claimant to prove that the money wasn’t involved in any illegal activities. Few are up to that task.”

A class action suit has been filed against the DC Police Department whose officers have been instructed to seize amounts of cash as small as $100. Moore remained confident that her agency would prevail in the case because “we have debit cards now. No honest person has a need for that much cash.”

if you missed any of this week's other semi-news/semi-satire posts you can find them at...

http://azconservative.org/2015/11/20/reid-and-obama-vow-to-block-bill-on-refugee-vetting/

[Wolfie]

Should have fought 30 years ago when it started, but you know they were just doing it to “those” people back then, so nobody cared.

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

Hastert is clear - no drugs were involved in pederasty. Semi-satire.

Pravda, New York Times, semi-satire.

[abb]

Not to mention income taxes, which, IMO, are a theft of labor.