This Video Of Nevada Highway Patrol Seizing This Guy's Life Savings Is A Perfect Distillation Of Everything Wrong With America's Civil Asset Forfeiture Laws. SF forfeiture suit seeks class action status. This photo shows seized vehicles at Santa Fe County’s impound lot several years ago.
(Eddie Moore/Albuquerque Journal) SANTA FE – A lawsuit against the city of Santa Fe and police chief Andrew Padilla requests class action status and accuses the city of using the now-halted DWI forfeiture program to unlawfully confiscate vehicles from their owners and use the proceeds to help fund the police department. The lawsuit also says unnamed city officials bragged about how much money the city was making from the forfeiture program and envisioning all the property they can seize from people, saying they could be “czars” and “own the city.”
Bernard Lucero filed the lawsuit in Santa Fe District Court last week claiming the city unlawfully seized his car after a January 2018 traffic stop. In Surprise Vote, House Passes Amendment to Restrict Asset Forfeiture. Jeff Sessions wants police to take more cash from American citizens. Attorney General Jeff Sessions introduces Vice President Pence at the Justice Department's National Summit on Crime Reduction and Public Safety, in Bethesda, Md., on June 21.
(AP/Jacquelyn Martin) Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday said he'd be issuing a new directive this week aimed at increasing police seizures of cash and property. Highway Robbery Gets Presidential Seal of Approval. Donald Trump is going after one of the few issues proven to be a unifier across party lines: civil asset forfeiture.
The Equitable Sharing Program provides local law enforcement with a loophole, allowing them to continue civil asset forfeiture. This legal tool allows law enforcement to seize money and physical property from those merely suspected of criminal behavior. Unfortunately, there is no conviction requirement, meaning confiscation can occur before suspects have been given the opportunity to defend themselves in court.
After 2016 saw several state victories reining in the practice, the Obama Administration reinstated the program on the federal level. The federal Equitable Sharing Program, which had briefly been paused due to budget constraints, provided local law enforcement with a loophole, which allowed them to continue the practice so long as they shared their spoils with the feds. Unfortunately, the issue is not as clear-cut as Trump would like to believe. Jeff Sessions and the Thuggery of Asset Forfeiture.
One of the unfortunate features of Washington is that people often wind up in places that bring out their worst behaviors.
The classic example is Jack Kemp, who did great work as a member of Congress to push a supply-side agenda of low marginal tax rates and less double taxation. Indeed, it’s no exaggeration to say that the Reagan tax cuts were made possible by Kemp’s yeoman efforts. But when President George H.W. There's Hope for Ending Civil Asset Forfeiture.
AZ Senate OKs racketeering charges for riots. The Arizona Senate on Wednesday approved a bill that makes participating in or helping organize a protest that turns into a riot an offense that could lead to criminal racketeering charges, legislation Republican backers say is needed to crack down on violent protesters.
The measure adds rioting to the organized crime statutes and says an overt act isn't needed to prove conspiracy to riot, meaning someone could be charged who wasn't involved in the actual riot. All 17 Senate Republicans supported the measure and all 13 Democrats voted no. It now heads to the House. Senate Bill 1142 would allow prosecutors to seize a person's assets in addition to enhanced criminal charges. Sen. Democrats said there is no evidence that current laws against rioting, property destruction and assault are ineffective.
Egged on by Sheriffs, Trump Endorses Police Practice of Taking Property from Innocent People. Fleece Force: How Police And Courts Around Ferguson Bully Residents And Collect Millions. Law Enforcement as Revenue Stream. After the financial class melted down the world economy, local governments faced an obvious reduction in their revenues.
As the economy recovered under a Democrat President, the Republicans held onto or gained power in many state governments, such as my own adopted state of Florida. With laudable consistency with their professed ideology, Republicans routinely cut taxes for businesses, the well off and sometimes even almost everyone. While the theory seems to be that cutting taxes will increase the revenue for state and local governments, shockingly the opposite seems to happen: state and local governments find themselves running short of funds needed to meet the expenses of actually operating a civilization. Being resourceful, local leaders seek other revenue streams in order to pay the bills. While cities like Ferguson provide well-known examples of a common “solution”, many cities and towns have embraced the practice of law-enforcement as revenue stream.
My Amazon Author Page. Richland's $4.1 million police station funded by civil forfeiture. IMPRESSIVE: Richland, Miss.’s $4.1 million police station was paid for entirely by civil forfeiture.
By Steve Wilson | Mississippi Watchdog The Mississippi city of Richland has a new $4.1 million police station, a top-level training center and a fleet of black-and-white Dodge Charger police cars. “If Someone is Bringing Drugs into Mar-a-Lago, Police Could Try to Seize it.” The comment was startling, even for President Donald Trump.
In a meeting with county sheriffs this week, the president suggested he would “destroy” the career of a Texas state senator who wants to curtail the ability of law enforcement to seize money, vehicles, and property suspected of being used in crime.