How Much Private Property is the Government Stealing in Your State?

[JBeukema]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hytkAaoF2k&feature=player_embedded]YouTube - Policing for Profit - The Abuse of Civil Asset Forfeiture[/ame]

Consider the case of Margaret Davis.
As a 77-year-old woman living alone with multiple medical problems, Margaret left her Pennsylvania home unlocked so her neighbors could regularly check on her. One day while the police were chasing alleged drug dealers through her neighborhood, they all ran through Margaret’s house. The dealers dropped some of their stash on Margaret’s floor, in plain sight.
Instead of apologizing to Margaret for the traumatic experience, the government seized her house.
Under civil forfeiture laws, Margaret’s property—her house—was guilty until she could prove it innocent to get it back. And that’s not all. As it turns out, most state and federal laws allow the government to keep the property they take through civil forfeiture. So authorities have a big incentive to pursue property over justice.

Predictably, abuse is rampant:

• In Louisiana, police were caught stealing innocent people’s property by making up crimes that never happened. They used the proceeds to fund ski trips to Aspen.

• In Texas, a government official was caught pumping forfeiture funds into his re-election campaign.

• In Nebraska, officials stole over $124,000 from a resident without ever charging, let alone convicting, him of a crime.

• In Missouri, authorities were caught turning forfeitures over to the federal government in order to avoid a legal requirement that proceeds go to schools. That way, both groups could split the proceeds without having to share any with the children that were supposed to get the money.

How Much Private Property is the Government Stealing in Your State? - Big Government

 

[Modbert]

Great thread. Another great example is how The War on Drugs funds more than a few police forces with how much they seize.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Deja Vu all over again.

 

[ConservativeDad]

Great thread. Another great example is how The War on Drugs funds more than a few police forces with how much they seize.

There's a WAR on drugs? Does the government know which side of that war they are fighting on?

 

[naomibee]

yeah that would seem like how they do things now days..

 

[Yurt]

Great thread. Another great example is how The War on Drugs funds more than a few police forces with how much they seize.

the war on drugs is a total failure...right on modbert