Civil Asset Forfeiture
BY Herschel Smith
5 years, 10 months ago
When a man barged into Isiah Kinloch’s apartment and broke a bottle over his head, the North Charleston resident called 911. After cops arrived on that day in 2015, they searched the injured man’s home and found an ounce of marijuana.
So they took $1,800 in cash from his apartment and kept it.
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When Eamon Cools-Lartigue was driving on Interstate 85 in Spartanburg County, deputies stopped him for speeding. The Atlanta businessman wasn’t criminally charged in the April 2016 incident. Deputies discovered $29,000 in his car, though, and decided to take it.
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When Brandy Cooke dropped her friend off at a Myrtle Beach sports bar as a favor, drug enforcement agents swarmed her in the parking lot and found $4,670 in the car.
Her friend was wanted in a drug distribution case, but Cooke wasn’t involved. She had no drugs and was never charged in the 2014 bust. Agents seized her money anyway.
She worked as a waitress and carried cash because she didn’t have a checking account. She spent more than a year trying to get her money back.
[ … ]
Police are systematically seizing cash and property — many times from people who aren’t guilty of a crime — netting millions of dollars each year. South Carolina law enforcement profits from this policing tactic: the bulk of the money ends up in its possession …
Officers gather in places like Spartanburg County for contests with trophies to see who can make the largest or most seizures during highway blitzes. They earn hats, mementos and free dinners, and agencies that participate take home a cut of the forfeiture proceeds.
That money adds up. Over three years, law enforcement agencies seized more than $17 million, our investigation shows.
Did you know that? They have parties where they get to brag about how much they took from citizens. How does that strike you?
Civil asset forfeiture. Or in common parlance by ordinary folk, theft. Immoral, unbiblical theft. The Scriptures nowhere gives the state the right to confiscate wealth like that, and I defy anyone to prove that it does. But don’t look to the pastors of churches to point to LEOs who do this and call them out on it as thieves during services. The pastors are morally bankrupt.
On February 3, 2019 at 10:57 pm, Dan said:
It’s “theft under color of authority”. And since the perpetrators are invariably ARMED it’s “ARMED ROBBERY”. And the ONLY proper
response to an armed robber is to KILL THEM. Which is exactly what
we should be doing.
On February 3, 2019 at 11:16 pm, George 1 said:
Several years ago a man traveling back to Idaho from Reno I think, he had about $9,000.00 cash in his car. He had won the money in Reno at one of their gambling establishments and had proof in the form of receipts that the origin of the cash was the result of gambling winnings in Reno.
The Oregon State Police stopped the guy for speeding and seized the cash. His receipt did not help and it was a multi year battle to get the money returned.
We live in a police state. I guess the guy is lucky he wasn’t killed on the spot. That seems to be happening more and more.
On February 4, 2019 at 6:18 am, Matt said:
Not trying to be facetious, but one thing I do wonder is how some of these people wind up getting searched? Do they agree to the inevitable fishing expedition when asked “is it ok if I have a look in your car?” Of course the answer should be NO. It has also been held that traffic violations are not grounds to suspect other crimes and when the reason for and reaction to the stop has been fulfilled they need to conclude their business and not extend the stop. Of course there’s always the I smelled weed excuse.
On February 4, 2019 at 9:12 am, Fred said:
“Thou shalt not steal.”
Took money without cause.
“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.”
Alleged a crime where none existed.
“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.”
Not only do they covet the money in their heart but they celebrate the results of their covetousness.
This can be summed up simply as; you get the government you deserve. These verses are from the Ten Commandments. It’s not like they’re some obscure notion from a little known section of the ancient texts or something. And these concepts are Natural Law principles written on every man’s heart, the police know, their politician bosses know, they all know that what they are doing is wrong and they do it anyway taking on Holy God’s condemnation all the more. South Carolina, one of the places where this is happening, supposedly has the most “Christians” per capita of any state but not only are they wrong for tolerating it, all that the LORD commands He enjoins, and not only are our supposed pastors hirelings of the Republican Party, a State Government Apparatus, but asset seizures is a form of warfare that the entirety of the people deserve for their continued sin there, being 70 million dead babies on account.
Asset seizures are banditry, it’s barbarous, yes the police are barbarians no better than mongrel hordes or the increasingly rampant seventh century death cult of pedophiles being brought in among us. If the Holy Bible is true, and Honey, it is, then we should expect a whole lot more warfare against us in the coming years, lest we repent and turn back unto Him, and maybe even then our path may be set, making it too late to avoid the coming and well deserved wrath.
On February 4, 2019 at 10:35 am, revjen45 said:
Asset forfeiture = Armed robbery under color of authority
I get calls on the land line soliciting donations all the time. When I get the one wanting $ for some cop-related thing I tell them as long as the Pigs are robbing people they don’t need $ from me.
On February 4, 2019 at 11:48 am, Longbow said:
It is THEFT.
The fucking worthless scum bag shit head thieves are proud of themselves, the “vast majority” not withstanding.
On February 4, 2019 at 12:46 pm, Georgiaboy61 said:
Asset-forfeiture laws began back in the 1970s as part of the so-called “War on Drugs,” and were originally an outgrowth of the RICO statutes. The original intent, if we are to believe the official story, is that LE agencies wanted a means by which they could seize the ill-gotten gains of drug dealers. That was how all of this started.
Turns out the “War on Drugs” wasn’t a war against narcotics at all, but against the American people and their civil rights.
For those interested, attorney John Whitehead, a stalwart member of the Heartland Foundation and the liberty movement, has written multiple books on the militarization of police forces and other forms of encroaching tyranny.
One of the key takeaways for those paying attention is that even laws which sound innocuous at the time, may later be turned upon the people they were purported to protect.
Nearly fifty years after the fact, Nixon’s “War on Drugs” has failed: Drugs are as common on American streets as ever, but our civil liberties have been significantly degraded. And our neighbor to the south, Mexico, is now a failed (hollow) state as a result – one whose social pathologies now seep over the border and into the U.S.
On February 4, 2019 at 12:58 pm, June J said:
“Nearly fifty years after the fact, Nixon’s “War on Drugs” has failed: Drugs are as common on American streets as ever, but our civil liberties have been significantly degraded.”
That’s what the government defines as a successful endevour. Practically everything government does the last few decades results in fewer civil liberties for law abiding American citizens.
On February 4, 2019 at 2:38 pm, Fred said:
This type of thing goes all the way back to the Navigation Acts of 1660 in Western Jurisprudence but of course, those were admiralty laws and Law of Sea which I hear is a version of what America is now under. Of course, the Apostle Matthew used to sit on the side of the road and take money from anybody he wanted to so long as the Roman prefect got his cut. Back then they used to call them sinners, now we, and especially those who go to the American Church, call them heroes. That’s too funny.
On February 4, 2019 at 2:58 pm, Pat Hines said:
We have to work to repeal or block asset forfeiture for state and local cop shops. It has been a license to steal for too long.
On February 4, 2019 at 6:07 pm, Georgiaboy61 said:
@ June Jay
Re: “That’s what the government defines as a successful endeavor. Practically everything government does the last few decades results in fewer civil liberties for law abiding American citizens.”
Ayn Rand had this to say on the subject:
“Did you really think we want those laws observed?” said Dr. Ferris. “We want them to be broken. You’d better get it straight that it’s not a bunch of boy scouts you’re up against… We’re after power and we mean it… There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What’s there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced or objectively interpreted – and you create a nation of law-breakers – and then you cash in on guilt. Now that’s the system, Mr. Reardon, that’s the game, and once you understand it, you’ll be much easier to deal with.”
― Ayn Rand, “Atlas Shrugged”
On February 4, 2019 at 6:50 pm, TheOtherGeorge said:
“Civil asset forfeiture. Or in common parlance by ordinary folk, theft”
– As others have pointed out, this has been going on for a long time. If perchance you think you might beat the scam by carrying only debit or credit cards and no cash, think again. Cops in some states (Oklahoma and South Carolina to name just two) have a device called ERAD; that stands for Electronic Recovery and Access to Data Machine. See link below:
https://ibankcoin.com/flyblog/2016/06/07/behold-the-electronic-recovery-and-access-to-data-erad-machine-is-coming-to-a-city-near-you/
The cop asks for your wallet, takes your credit/debit cards and scans them into this machine. Poof! There goes your funds. The manufacturer of these devices receives 7.7% of all funds “collected” in this way.
On February 4, 2019 at 7:32 pm, That Guy said:
Also ticket-writing, which is just revenue generation.
On February 4, 2019 at 9:14 pm, Henry said:
The antique term “highwayman” neds to come back into vogue. Along with the traditional remedy.
On February 5, 2019 at 7:34 am, Muzzle Blast said:
“When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.” –Frédéric Bastiat (1801 – 1850)
Indeed …
On February 8, 2019 at 4:51 pm, snoooooozn said:
My son likes to call them Road Pirates, which is appropriate. They even have Letters of Marque from their respective governments.