Posted on 08/18/2009 3:09:38 PM PDT by Library Lady
HILLSVILLE — Law enforcement officials don't just threaten to throw people acting illegally or suspiciously in prison. Prosecutors also go after the contents of their wallets or garages.
Carroll County prosecutors have implemented several such civil forfeiture proceedings in a variety of cases where suspected proceeds from drug dealing or other illegal activity — in the form of large amounts of loose cash or property — have been found.
And on some occasions, the defendants involved in the seizures haven't even been charged with a drug-related crime.
(Excerpt) Read more at galaxgazette.com ...
Nope. Not like your fantasy land at all. Go sit in on a few. The last thing the cops want is to go before a judge because most are liberal fucks that side with the crook no matter what the circumstances are of the seizure.
No trace of any legit income but there sits the Escalade and M5 in the bad guy's drive. And the house is nothing more than a front for a marijuana grow. What? The cops didn't read Mr Bad Guy his rights in Spanish, Creole, Hindu, Chinese and Russian? Sorry. Escalade and M5 stay with the bad guy. Cops have to pay for tearing up the marijuana grow house, but they don't have to give the plants back to the bad guy. Hey, the judge isn't all bad.
Nice.
Still, no criminal conviction, no siezure. OK?
Oh come on - it’s happening. It’s lawful. And the people having their property taken are dems...
Police and courts can seize property for virtually ANY felony, including property crimes, rape and murder, not just drug offenses.
If it is someone with a lot of money, then it can be fought, but a lot of the time it is the guy with $500 in his pocket, or the guy whose buddy had a baggie of pot in his pocket and has his work truck taken. There are lots of abuses in this system.
There is no judge on God's green earth that will take a man's work truck for a bag of weed.
Now, what you'll see reported is that the cops seized the guy's truck (depending on the circumstances most won't even do that). Yup. They did. Guy went to jail and the cops had his truck towed away to the impound. A lot of papers will report that as a seizure which is just flat out wrong.
Now, if the cops *can* legally seize a vehicle for a bag of dope, most won't because they know a judge won't buy it. However, you may read a story where a guy gets his truck seized for a bag a pot but what you don't read is that he has a rap sheet a mile long for trafficking, armed robbery, etc. In that case, ya, they'll seize his truck because the judge ain't going to be nice to mister bag of weed on probation. But you'll never see it spelled out like that.
I agree there are abuses in the system. Especially when judges are on the take (gasp, NO!). But you'll find that in any system, anywhere. Just have to weed them out. No pun intended.
Actually no.
This crap predates the war on drugs.
It is simple corruption and would not even decrease even a little if drugs were legalized.
There would simply be a new excuse.
Sure.
I support the position the libertarians espoused BEFORE Ayn Rand yanked them hard into communism.
1. bring back capitol punishment for murder.
2. Acknowledge that intentional use of intoxicants is an admission of intent to do whatever a person might do intoxicated that they otherwise would not.
3. As per #2 drunk driving deaths or death caused by fires set by stoners are now capitol murder crimes. You can use whatever you want but if you ever hurt anyone, it was intentional and you will be removed from civil society.
I found their old paradigm elegant and workable.
That is, however the sane only way that drugs could be legalized.
Oddly enough, my mother taught me to never be found in the company of disreputable folk and that my life would go much more smoothly if I followed that without fail. I have, and guess what...my only “brush with the law” was being hollered at by a small dicked local sheriff for backing up at an otherwise empty intersection where a tanker truck cut it way too close and would’ve went right over my hood.
Funny how that works, huh? Meanwhile the more popular folks are a parade of divorces, car wrecks, weekends in the local hoosegow, living in dirty houses, wearing too-tight ragged clothes and with a pack of grimy, screaming children running around.
Lie down with dogs, get up with fleas. Live it, love it, it works. And, as Jim Carrey’s character suggested in “Liar, Liar”....”QUIT BREAKING THE LAW!!”
You say that like it’s a good thing. ;-)
The SUV is now used by the police for surveillance on the very same gang-bangers they took it from.
BS. Your wrong.
The courts legitimize the actions of Law Enforcement.
Cops and Judges are all on the same side and they work hand in hand in generating revenue for their respected county/city/state/local government.
They probably do frequent function checks and cleanings on the firearms they confiscate, too.
If there was not enough evidence to arrest the person, then there was not enough to evidence to take property. IMHO.
An automobile which is parked improperly may be towed and impounded as collateral for the parking "fee" (in most cases, it is essentially a fee, since someone who parks improperly, gets caught, and pays the fee, will not have a record any worse than someone who never parks improperly). Issuing a ticket is cheaper and less hassle than towing a car, both for those who enforce restrictions and for those who park improperly.
How is Atlas Shrugged pro-communist? I would have thought Ayn Rand was anti-communist.
Unfortunately, the judges often side with badge-wearing crooks.
Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged are about as anti-communist (collectivist) as you can get.
I think it was reported just a few days ago that some cops took some VIPs to the range with confiscated weapons for a day of shooting.
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