HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

POLICING FOR PROFIT: Feds try to take innocent elderly couple's Mom-and-Pop motel

Views:949
@IJvids

UPDATE: The Caswell's won the case! Watch a behind the scenes video about the case here: http://youtu.be/oJrM44GwiTg

The most contentious civil forfeiture fight in the nation will be the subject of a week-long trial starting Monday, November 5, 2012, in Boston. Throughout the week, the Institute for Justice, which represents the property owners in the case, will expose the ugly practice of civil forfeiture—where law enforcement agencies can pad their budgets by taking property from innocent owners who have never been convicted or even charged with a crime.

The trial will start at 10 a.m. at the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse, 1 Courthouse Way in Boston. The case of Tewksbury, Mass., motel owner Russ Caswell and his wife will be presided over by Magistrate Judge Judith G. Dein in Courtroom 15. At the heart of the trial will be the protections afforded innocent owners, like the Caswells, when faced with the loss of their property.

All Russ and his wife want is to peacefully operate their motel. But because their property was worth one million dollars and carried no mortgage, and because a handful of drug crimes had taken place on the property over 20 years (which represent less than .05 percent of the 125,000 rooms the Caswells rented over that period of time), the federal government is trying to take the Caswell's property through civil forfeiture, sell the land and keep the money. Under a process known as "equitable sharing," the federal government would keep 20 percent of what they net and the local police department would pocket 80 percent. Russ and his wife stand to lose everything they worked their lives to build.

"The Caswell case epitomizes everything that is wrong with our nation's civil forfeiture laws," said Scott Bullock, senior attorney at the Institute for Justice. "People who are never even charged let alone convicted of criminal wrongdoing can face the loss of their homes, cars, cash, or, like with the Caswells, their entire business and livelihood."

"This outrageous forfeiture action should never have been filed in the first place," said Larry Salzman, an IJ attorney. "What the government is doing amounts to little more than a grab for what they saw as quick cash under the guise of civil forfeiture. Our goal in this case is to not only spotlight the inevitable abuse that transpires when law enforcement agencies are allowed to use civil forfeiture, but to set a precedent that will end this nightmare for the Caswells and stop an abuse of power that has ruined the lives of too many innocent Americans."

Russ said, "I think it is quite obvious why the federal government has come after us and not other businesses. We own a million-dollar property with no mortgage, so anything they get here, they get to keep for themselves. This case took a huge financial toll on our family before the Institute for Justice stepped up to defend us. And it continues to put a huge personal strain on both me and my wife. At this point in our lives, we should be thinking about our retirement. Instead, we have to take on this fight to save our business and make sure that it won't happen again to the next generation that comes along."

http://www.ij.org/massachusetts-civil-forfeiture-release-3-15-2013
Donate to IJ: https://ij.org/support/give-now/

forfeiture
,
police
,
doj
,
institute for justice
,
ij
,
liberty
,
libertarian
,
tewksbury
,
massachusetts
,
scott bullock
,
russ caswell
    Thumbnail for Panel 1: Judicial Engagement in Enforcing Property Rights1:34:42
    Panel 1: Judicial Engagement in Enforcing Property Rights
    IJvids
    778 views
    Thumbnail for Is Silicon Valley Building the Infrastructure for a Police State?10:12
    Is Silicon Valley Building the Infrastructure for a Police State?
    ReasonVids
    948 views
    Thumbnail for Biggest Muscle Girls in SL posing and lifting | Fjori SL3:50
    Biggest Muscle Girls in SL posing and lifting | Fjori SL
    invidious
    707 views
    Thumbnail for 【#頭條開講】美國烈火焚身!好萊塢危矣!川普稱帝!帝國崛起!記者靈魂質問歐盟!你們在等川普入侵嗎?墨西哥女帝掀反旗! |20250109 完整版  @頭條開講HeadlinesTalk | 頭條開講2:00:37
    【#頭條開講】美國烈火焚身!好萊塢危矣!川普稱帝!帝國崛起!記者靈魂質問歐盟!你們在等川普入侵嗎?墨西哥女帝掀反旗! |20250109 完整版 @頭條開講HeadlinesTalk | 頭條開講
    invidious
    118 views
    Thumbnail for Housing Market Crash in The USA: Separating Fact from Fiction | ClearValue Tax9:49
    Housing Market Crash in The USA: Separating Fact from Fiction | ClearValue Tax
    invidious
    98 views
    Thumbnail for Star Boat - "The Space Blob"  Part 1 | KyleDunnigan4:30
    Star Boat - "The Space Blob" Part 1 | KyleDunnigan
    invidious
    384 views
    Thumbnail for The monumental free speech case the media ignored | ReasonTV5:19
    The monumental free speech case the media ignored | ReasonTV
    invidious
    329 views
    Thumbnail for Citizen vs. Government (Vol. 1)1:34
    Citizen vs. Government (Vol. 1)
    ReasonVids
    900 views
    Thumbnail for The Most Unpredictable Level Ever? - Kick or Clutch Ep. 195 | OwlPlague12:38
    The Most Unpredictable Level Ever? - Kick or Clutch Ep. 195 | OwlPlague
    invidious
    342 views
    Thumbnail for CatboyKami explains the international jew while in blackface2:44
    CatboyKami explains the international jew while in blackface
    indig0sixalpha
    3087 views
    Thumbnail for Installing a new bike tire and inner tube in 5 minutes | The Eclectic Handyman5:43
    Installing a new bike tire and inner tube in 5 minutes | The Eclectic Handyman
    invidious
    341 views
    Thumbnail for TÜRKİYE GENELİ 9.SINIF 2.DÖNEM 1.YAZILI FULL TEKRAR + MEB YAZILI PROVASI | Rehber Matematik2:12:36
    TÜRKİYE GENELİ 9.SINIF 2.DÖNEM 1.YAZILI FULL TEKRAR + MEB YAZILI PROVASI | Rehber Matematik
    invidious
    316 views
    Thumbnail for Episode 3 - The Orbiter5:03
    Episode 3 - The Orbiter
    murdochmurdoch
    1374 views
    Thumbnail for This will 100% make you laugh | Memes deez nuts15:14
    This will 100% make you laugh | Memes deez nuts
    invidious
    261 views
    Thumbnail for City of 1 Million on Mars Before 2050, That's the Plan | BRIGHT SIDE8:58
    City of 1 Million on Mars Before 2050, That's the Plan | BRIGHT SIDE
    invidious
    266 views
    Thumbnail for The Big Misconception About Electricity | Veritasium14:48
    The Big Misconception About Electricity | Veritasium
    science.topic
    66 views
    Thumbnail for Fallout LIED To You 😱! #shorts | The Film Theorists0:52
    Fallout LIED To You 😱! #shorts | The Film Theorists
    invidious
    266 views
    Thumbnail for Best soy face. 0:40
    Best soy face.
    bestofvoatxyz
    1046 views
    Thumbnail for Document found on NASA website in 2001 about world takeover is way too accurate.36:17
    Document found on NASA website in 2001 about world takeover is way too accurate.
    allAheadFull
    976 views
    Thumbnail for Canadian Euthanasia doctor Ellen (((Wiebe))) says "The majority of our patients are the elite, like us."0:27
    Canadian Euthanasia doctor Ellen (((Wiebe))) says "The majority of our patients are the elite, like us."
    bestofupgoat
    118 views
    Thumbnail for the loneliest block ever. | camman180:38
    the loneliest block ever. | camman18
    invidious
    114 views
    Thumbnail for Woke Pope: Live with Jay Dyer | Leonarda Jonie1:08:21
    Woke Pope: Live with Jay Dyer | Leonarda Jonie
    invidious
    50 views
    Thumbnail for 이것 때문에 해운업계는 발등에 불이 떨어졌습니다/올트만 7조 달러 투자 계획/하락한 해운사, 조선의 국모가 보는 전망은?/죽어라 일해도 가난한 나라는 이것이 없다/최파고의부자되는법 | 삼프로TV_경제의신과함께5:48:01
    이것 때문에 해운업계는 발등에 불이 떨어졌습니다/올트만 7조 달러 투자 계획/하락한 해운사, 조선의 국모가 보는 전망은?/죽어라 일해도 가난한 나라는 이것이 없다/최파고의부자되는법 | 삼프로TV_경제의신과함께
    invidious
    292 views
    Thumbnail for Book of Biden0:11
    Book of Biden
    bestofvoatxyz
    748 views
    Thumbnail for Fireside Bliss | Cozy Christmas Fireplace Ambience With Crackling Fire Sounds | 𝑾𝒂𝒓𝒎 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒆1:00
    Fireside Bliss | Cozy Christmas Fireplace Ambience With Crackling Fire Sounds | 𝑾𝒂𝒓𝒎 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒆
    invidious
    339 views

points

Permalink
Reply
forfeiture
,
police
,
doj
,
institute for justice
,
ij
,
liberty
,
libertarian
,
tewksbury
,
massachusetts
,
scott bullock
,
russ caswell
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle