Seizures of cash due to drug laws

I was just driving back from picking up some good pizza, of which course the gov. now knows I bought since I used my debit card.
When I started remembering some things I saw on Cops and on the news. There was a guy who took 10K out of his bank account down south and put it into a cooler and he was going to buy a new car or something, I can't find the article, but I remember it being on Fark, and he was pulled over for slightly speeding. The police officer wanted to search the vehicle, found the money, declared it drug money and seized it. The man never got his money back, he was never even charged with anything. They just took his money. On Cops I've seen them arrest people solely because they are in possession of too many 5 dollar bills.

The govt. can pretty much take anything of yours due to the drug laws seizure policy.

[edit on 7-3-2007 by Charles Lee]

I found an example here. This guys car was taken away from him by the gov. because his daughter was caught for possession.


www.fa-ir.org...

Doyle is not accused of any wrongdoing, but authorities contend his daughter is partial owner of the Corvette and that she was implicated in three drug-related arrests.

[edit on 7-3-2007 by Charles Lee]

www.libertarianworld.com...
Here's some more figures on property seizures.

Representative Henry Hyde of Illinois noted in June 1993 that 80 percent of the people whose property is seized by the federal government under drug laws are never formally charged with any crime.

80% are never charged with ANY CRIME!!!! They just have their private property taken!

[edit on 7-3-2007 by Charles Lee]


A bit of an incentive....

Bullock said more than half of states have laws that allow law enforcement agencies to keep some or all of the assets they seize.

www.signonsandiego.com...


[edit on 7-3-2007 by Charles Lee]

This guy the police picked up, realized he was innocent, and still took his property while they were falsely accusing him of a pot growing operation.

By the time he returned home that day, Oct. 4, Hendrickson's baby-blue 1984 Chevy van -- with Dialed-in Paint Co. stenciled on the sides -- was gone. So were his business papers, including bids for upcoming jobs. And his girlfriend's new computer and all her disks.

seattlepi.nwsource.com...

[edit on 7-3-2007 by Charles Lee]

From the government itself...
deaauctions.com...


[edit on 7-3-2007 by Charles Lee]

Short history of major drug laws in the U.S.
www.hr95.org...
Needed to make a new post, it was becoming too cluttered.

But you can see that it's mind boggling to what the government can take away from you just because they "think" you have something to do with a drug operation. Especially since many police agencies can keep the money they confiscate, this is surely being abused left and right, and as the growing police state looms over us, it's sure to be used more and more.

[edit on 7-3-2007 by Charles Lee]


I'll definitely post some more examples and information tomorrow, my eyes hurt from reading the computer screen for too long.

[edit on 7-3-2007 by Charles Lee]

I got busted once (not drug related), but my car was impounded as they needed it to look for evidence.

What is funny is that it only takes a day or so to do this, but they kept my car for several weeks before sending me notice that I could pick it up at a storage facility. (mind you this car was not an expensive one) Even this, the storage costs accrued added up to more than I could afford to spare to get my car back so I had no choice but to sign the title over in leui of payment.

Nothing said that they could not have just towed it right back to where they found it - in my driveway.

We learned about these seizures in numerous of my classes. I majored in criminal justice. They never have to charge the person with a crime. They make billions off these seizures and it's quite a cash cow for them.