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Holder limits seized-asset sharing process that split billions with local, state police
Washington Post ^ | 16 Jan 2015 | Robert O'Harrow Jr., Sari Horwitz and Steven Rich

Posted on 01/16/2015 2:07:39 PM PST by oblomov

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Friday barred local and state police from using federal law to seize cash, cars and other property without proving that a crime occurred.

Holder’s action represents the most sweeping check on police power to confiscate personal property since the seizures began three decades ago as part of the war on drugs.

Since 2008, thousands of local and state police agencies have made more than 55,000 seizures of cash and property worth $3 billion under a civil asset forfeiture program at the Justice Department called Equitable Sharing.

The program has enabled local and state police to make seizures and then have them “adopted” by federal agencies, which share in the proceeds. The program allowed police departments and drug task forces to keep up to 80 percent of the proceeds of the adopted seizures, with the rest going to federal agencies.

“With this new policy, effective immediately, the Justice Department is taking an important step to prohibit federal agency adoptions of state and local seizures, except for public safety reasons,” Holder said in a statement.

Holder’s decision allows some limited exceptions, including illegal firearms, ammunition, explosives and property associated with child pornography, a small fraction of the total. This would eliminate virtually all cash and vehicle seizures made by local and state police from the program.

While police can continue to make seizures under their own state laws, the federal program was easy to use and required most of the proceeds from the seizures to go to local and state police departments. Many states require seized proceeds to go into the general fund.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: assetforfeiture; ericholder; forfeiture; holder; liberty; whatshisfrnick; wod
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Did pigs sprout wings while I was at work today? I agree with this wholeheartedly!
1 posted on 01/16/2015 2:07:39 PM PST by oblomov
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To: oblomov
Did pigs sprout wings while I was at work today? I agree with this wholeheartedly!

Knowing the character of the person involved, and knowing the source of this news (Washington comPost), I'm thinking there is more involved. I.e., Eric Holder bans local police from seizing assets so the Federal Gestapo can get first dibs.

2 posted on 01/16/2015 2:10:54 PM PST by El Cid (Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house...)
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To: oblomov

He doesn’t want the competition stealing.


3 posted on 01/16/2015 2:11:13 PM PST by TheThirdRuffian (RINOS like Romney, McCain, Christie are sure losers. No more!)
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To: oblomov

I doubt it changes much. As noted states have their own civil asset forfeiture laws and most if not all, don’t need to do it under a federal law.

They are doing this to downplay objections to Holder’s replacement in waiting, who made her career doing civil asset forfeiture. She oversaw 900 million under civil asset seizures.


4 posted on 01/16/2015 2:11:18 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: oblomov

Why is the whole administration ruling by fiat?
Why isn’t the republican oligarchy doing anything??


5 posted on 01/16/2015 2:12:09 PM PST by aMorePerfectUnion ( "I didn't leave the Central Oligarchy Party. It left me." - Ronaldus Maximus)
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To: oblomov
Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Friday barred local and state police from using federal law to seize cash, cars and other property without proving that a crime occurred.

Holder’s decision allows some limited exceptions, including illegal firearms, ammunition

So there's that.

6 posted on 01/16/2015 2:15:04 PM PST by MileHi (Liberalism is an ideology of parasites, hypocrites, grievance mongers, victims, and control freaks.)
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To: aMorePerfectUnion
Why isn’t the republican oligarchy doing anything??

You want republicans to defend asset seizure???

7 posted on 01/16/2015 2:15:22 PM PST by Ken H (What happens on the internet, stays on the internet.)
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To: oblomov

What did Holder get Alzheimer’s or something?


8 posted on 01/16/2015 2:15:46 PM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: oblomov

Eric H0lder, Federal Dick, .........


9 posted on 01/16/2015 2:16:17 PM PST by Paladin2
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To: El Cid
"Did pigs sprout wings while I was at work today? I agree with this wholeheartedly!"

I'm thinking the same thing!!! Holder actually did something right.

10 posted on 01/16/2015 2:24:13 PM PST by DannyTN
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To: Secret Agent Man

Methinks you are correct. Still, this is a good thing, regardless of the motivation. But it doesn’t go nearly far enough.

What galls me is that the gutless Supremes haven’t reined this in already. It is a corrupt practice to seize property absent a preponderance of evidence that the property was the fruit of a crime, converted from the fruit of a crime or directly and knowingly used by its owner in the commission or facilitation of crime.

This BS of seizing grandma’s house because the grandson sold a bag of weed out of his car while parked in the driveway needed to be stopped long ago.


11 posted on 01/16/2015 2:24:26 PM PST by SargeK
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To: oblomov

Well, well ... one thing I back him on! I would have never thought this would happen.


12 posted on 01/16/2015 2:25:59 PM PST by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...

What’s Holder’s FR nick?


13 posted on 01/16/2015 2:30:54 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: SargeK
What galls me is that the gutless Supremes haven’t reined this in already.

Just about every time it's come before the court, the conservative justices have supported the practice. Law and order, don'tcha know.

14 posted on 01/16/2015 2:44:38 PM PST by Bubba Ho-Tep ("The rat always knows when he's in with weasels"-- Tom Waits)
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To: SargeK
What galls me is that the gutless Supremes haven’t reined this in already.

Just about every time it's come before the court, the conservative justices have supported the practice. Law and order, don'tcha know.

15 posted on 01/16/2015 2:44:47 PM PST by Bubba Ho-Tep ("The rat always knows when he's in with weasels"-- Tom Waits)
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To: Ken H

“You want republicans to defend asset seizure???

No. I want them to insist that the administration act within the law instead of by fiat.


16 posted on 01/16/2015 2:45:10 PM PST by aMorePerfectUnion ( "I didn't leave the Central Oligarchy Party. It left me." - Ronaldus Maximus)
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To: Bubba Ho-Tep

Sorry about the double.


17 posted on 01/16/2015 2:45:22 PM PST by Bubba Ho-Tep ("The rat always knows when he's in with weasels"-- Tom Waits)
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To: aMorePerfectUnion
No. I want them to insist that the administration act within the law instead of by fiat.

You think asset seizure is within the Fourth and Fifth Amendments?

18 posted on 01/16/2015 2:48:54 PM PST by Ken H (What happens on the internet, stays on the internet.)
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To: aMorePerfectUnion
Why isn’t the republican oligarchy doing anythiing??

They are busy fighting tooth and nail .....

.....against conservative republicans

19 posted on 01/16/2015 2:49:56 PM PST by Vaquero (Don't pick a fight with an old guy. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.)
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To: Ken H

One set of emperors balancing out another set of emperors


20 posted on 01/16/2015 2:54:37 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Embrace the Lion of Judah and He will roar for you and teach you to roar too. See my page.)
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