bill limiting the ability for police to 'confiscate' property

[draco664]

What a bunch of bullshit! I thought we were "innocent until proven guilty",

*sniff* I love seeing naivety in people. It really brings a tear to my eye.

Go and read up on asset forfeiture laws - if you think your heart can take it.

[draco664]

I used to think that way, then I thought, why the hell should they waste my time searching my car to just try to randomly get lucky? If they REALLY want to search my car so badly, they can get a warrant. Luckily I've never had a cop ask to search my car.

They don't need a warrant. They'll just say that they smell pot. Even if the car is moving with the windows wound up. Even if the drug sniffer dog they bring in doesn't alert. The fact that the cop whiffed pot gives them probable cause...

And with probable cause, they can search to their heart's content. They'll find something. Even if they have to tear your car apart. Even if they have to turn off the recording equipment in their car to do so. You know, because having a camera on you prevents you from planting evidence finding a minute amount of drugs in a car already searched three times.

It's happened before.

[Greenday]

They don't need a warrant. They'll just say that they smell pot. Even if the car is moving with the windows wound up. Even if the drug sniffer dog they bring in doesn't alert. The fact that the cop whiffed pot gives them probable cause...

And with probable cause, they can search to their heart's content. They'll find something. Even if they have to tear your car apart. Even if they have to turn off the recording equipment in their car to do so. You know, because having a camera on you prevents you from planting evidence finding a minute amount of drugs in a car already searched three times.

It's happened before.

I read these stories and wonder how horrible it must be to live in a place where cops do stuff like that. Thank God it doesn't happen where I live.

[s_stabeler]

that you know of, Greenday. They might just be better at covering it up.

[Greenday]

that you know of, Greenday. They might just be better at covering it up.

I don't know about that. People in my area are super whiny and go to the press with any sort of ridiculous crap. I feel like something that big would have been reported to the media by now. I lucked out. The cops in my town are pretty helpful and nice people.

[crashhelmet]

Back in the late 80s and early 90s, there was an issue in Florida with the police pulling people over as they were leaving the airport and confiscating large amounts of cash from them as "suspected drug money." AFAIK, even the legitmate businessmen never got a dime back.

[PepperElf]

yep. there was one about expensive cars on the news back ... around the same timeframe i think.

cars were being stopped and confiscated because they "might" be used to transport drugs.most of the cars being taken were expensive ones.

Although, IIRC, the real dealers ... I think use rented stuff now. So that the police can't actually confiscate it. I suspect that's why many of the people they shake down get shaken down more. Cos I think some of the confiscated assets ... isn't always clear where the money goes.

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/ne...police-budgets

For MA:

The state’s 11 district attorneys deposited a combined $16.8 million in their forfeiture accounts during fiscal years 2009, 2010 and 2011, the most recent data available. District attorneys split proceeds with local and state police, meaning $33.6 million was potentially seized in three years. State records don't account for local shares, so the distribution isn't clear.

Police say they have every right to seize property that helps criminals carry out their work. But because police do not have to charge a person with a crime to seize his or her property, experts say the practice turns the American principle of innocent until proven guilty on its head.