[elkfersupper]

"It allows us to buy equipment without using taxpayers' money,"

Fabulous.

[elkfersupper]

Ping.

[Lurker]

"It allows us to buy equipment without using taxpayers' stolen money,"

Fixed it.

L

[July 4th]

Why even bother with cash anymore? Some punk cop decides he want to confiscate your cash, there's nothing you can do about it. No drugs? No problem!

[NicknamedBob]

Why would you buy a house for cash? Why not write a check?

[ansel12]

I think it was Dateline that showed an old black man that was traveling, that lost a little over $800.00 because the law thought it was too much cash for a guy like him to have.

[DumpsterDiver]

-- drug-sniffing dog found a strong odor of narcotics inside the car
-- no drugs were found
-- the two men weren't charged with a crime
-- the officers kept the money

This country is beginning to resemble a banana republic.

[Quickgun]

I've recently read another ,similar post on here about this. Its disturbing that your money can be confiscated on a dogs opinion. Even if these guys are suspicious,taking thier money and not charging them with anything? Could it be a corrupt police department?

[Valpal1]

drug-sniffing dog found a strong odor of narcotics inside the car

And the dog was able to testify as to the strength of this odor exactly how? Stupid journalists, evil law, injustice abounds.

[USF]

Federal Appeals Court: Driving With Money is a Crime

Eighth Circuit Appeals Court ruling says police may seize cash from motorists even in the absence of any evidence that a crime has been committed.

A federal appeals court ruled yesterday that if a motorist is carrying large sums of money, it is automatically subject to confiscation. In the case entitled, "United States of America v. $124,700 in U.S. Currency," the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit took that amount of cash away from Emiliano Gomez Gonzolez, a man with a "lack of significant criminal history" neither accused nor convicted of any crime.

On May 28, 2003, a Nebraska state trooper signaled Gonzolez to pull over his rented Ford Taurus on Interstate 80. The trooper intended to issue a speeding ticket, but noticed the Gonzolez's name was not on the rental contract. The trooper then proceeded to question Gonzolez -- who did not speak English well -- and search the car. The trooper found a cooler containing $124,700 in cash, which he confiscated. A trained drug sniffing dog barked at the rental car and the cash. For the police, this was all the evidence needed to establish a drug crime that allows the force to keep the seized money.

Associates of Gonzolez testified in court that they had pooled their life savings to purchase a refrigerated truck to start a produce business....

Source: US v. $124,700 (US Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, 8/19/2006)

[processing please hold]

I recall reading a story a couple of years back where if you took money from anyone in the US, it would have traces of drugs on it...and that was a couple of years ago.

They stole those guys money pure and simple.

[Dead Corpse]

Why isn't this theft?

[freepatriot32]

Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here

[CSM]

"No drugs were found, and the two men weren't charged with a crime, but officers did keep the money,...."

I can't wait to see the FR support for such an abuse of individual liberty.

[robertpaulsen]

"The two men told officers they had flown from Texas to New Jersey and were driving south to Atlanta to buy a house with the money, Grice said."

And after that, they were going to fly from Atlanta to Minneapolis then drive to Phoenix to buy another house.

Uh-huh.

[bert]

The dog hit on the cocaine residue on the money.

The seizure was illegal.

[CougarGA7]

So that's where Jefferson D-LA hides his money now.

[WhiteGuy]

No drugs were found, and the two men weren't charged with a crime, but officers did keep the money.


This is sometimes called grand theft and at other times armed robbery.

Because the "officers" had guns, I'd say this was armed robbery.

[Rb ver. 2.0]

Davidson County, NC is notorious for using I-85 as a hunting ground for finding drugs and "drug" money. I was a lot worse under Sheriff Hege, but he's toast now. At times there is a flying squadron of 3 or 4 unmarked sheriff's vehicles prowling and profiling cars with out-of-state plates. There's been many times when I've passed through there and seen entire families sitting on guard rail while a sheriff's deputy empties the contents of their car onto the shoulder of the highway. (and he's not changing the tire either)

[commonguymd]

No government official including police officers should be able to confiscate my money or anyone else's based on a suggested assumption. I should be allowed to carry 10 dollars, 1000 dollars, 10000 dollars, or even a hundred thousand without fear the government will seize it to buy equipment. I will take the risk of being robbed by a criminal, but the criminal shouldn't be the police. If there were no drugs, imo no crime. I shouldn't need to tell anyone what I intend to do with my money.

[stylecouncilor]

ping