HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

Policing for Profit - The Abuse of Civil Asset Forfeiture

Views:822
@IJvids

Learn more at http://www.ij.org/PolicingForProfit

Civil forfeiture laws represent one of the most serious assaults on private property rights in the nation today. With civil forfeiture, police and prosecutors can seize your property and use it to fund their budgets—all without charging you with a crime. Americans are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, but with civil forfeiture, your property is guilty until you prove it innocent—and law enforcement has a huge incentive to police for profit, not justice.

If police suspect that you committed a crime, they can arrest you and put you on trial. At that trial, prosecutors must prove you are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

But if police suspect your car was involved in a crime, they can take it, sell it and, in most places, pocket the proceeds to pad their budgets. They need not prove you committed any crime—or even arrest you—to take your property away.

Welcome to the upside-down world of civil asset forfeiture.
With civil forfeiture, your property is guilty until you prove it innocent to get it back.

And because most state and federal laws allow police and prosecutors to pocket the proceeds, they have a big incentive to pursue profits, not justice.

How big? In 1986, the Justice Departments forfeiture fund took in 94 million dollars. Now it has more than a billion. State and local agencies receive forfeiture funds, too—but we don't know how much because most states don't publicly report on forfeiture.

No surprise—abuse is rampant. One New York police department spent forfeiture funds on food, gifts and entertainment. In Georgia, forfeiture funds paid for football tickets for a DAs office. In Louisiana, cops used funds to pay for ski trips to Aspen. And a DA in Texas used forfeiture dollars to buy TV ads for his re-election campaign.

Meanwhile, citizens are seeing cash, cars and other property taken away for the flimsiest of reasons. Carrying too much cash? Police can accuse you of selling drugs or laundering money and seize it, no conviction or even arrest required.

An Institute for Justice study grades state laws on how well they protect people from wrongful forfeitures. Only three states receive a B or better. The rest range from mediocre to awful—and so does federal law.

Worse, a federal legal loophole allows police and prosecutors to bypass state protections and keep pocketing forfeiture money. IJ's research shows that the easier and more profitable these laws make forfeiture, the more it is used and abused.

Its time to end civil forfeiture. People shouldn't have their property taken away without being convicted of a crime. And law enforcement shouldn't be policing for profit

Learn more at http://www.ij.org/PolicingForProfit
Donate to IJ: https://ij.org/support/give-now/

ij
,
institute for justice
,
civil
,
asset
,
forfeiture
,
abuse
,
constitution
,
constitutional
,
unconstitutional
,
research
,
chip
,
mellor
,
scott
,
bullock
,
law
,
legal
,
challenge
    Thumbnail for Policing for Profit Visualized: How Big Is Civil Forfeiture?4:47
    Policing for Profit Visualized: How Big Is Civil Forfeiture?
    IJvids
    862 views
    Thumbnail for nigger swaggers employs literal zogbots for 80k a year2:21
    nigger swaggers employs literal zogbots for 80k a year
    bestofupgoat
    552 views
    Thumbnail for How the jew-owned MSM protects criminals0:18
    How the jew-owned MSM protects criminals
    AOUisgay
    513 views
    Thumbnail for You have forgotten your people 'runs with scissors'... heya hoa heya heya hoa0:06
    You have forgotten your people 'runs with scissors'... heya hoa heya heya hoa
    AOUisgay
    459 views
    Thumbnail for I TESTIFY AGAINST THE JEWS – By Robert Edward Edmondson 1872-195950:56
    I TESTIFY AGAINST THE JEWS – By Robert Edward Edmondson 1872-1959
    bestofvoatxyz
    546 views
    Thumbnail for Executor | PAUL SORVINO | Action Movie | Drama Film | Full Length1:33:17
    Executor | PAUL SORVINO | Action Movie | Drama Film | Full Length
    invidious
    330 views
    Thumbnail for Oregon Legalizes a Breakthrough Treatment: Magic Mushrooms7:13
    Oregon Legalizes a Breakthrough Treatment: Magic Mushrooms
    ReasonVids
    937 views
    Thumbnail for Steph ripped his jersey walking off the court after the 2OT loss to the Lakers.(via @957thegame) | ESPN0:10
    Steph ripped his jersey walking off the court after the 2OT loss to the Lakers.(via @957thegame) | ESPN
    invidious
    308 views
    Thumbnail for #6 SEKIRO〜Tバッグ地獄!VS 葦名七本槍〜 | サンシャイン池崎の爆裂ゲームバカ一代!!!2:16:48
    #6 SEKIRO〜Tバッグ地獄!VS 葦名七本槍〜 | サンシャイン池崎の爆裂ゲームバカ一代!!!
    invidious
    133 views
    Thumbnail for The Absolute Easiest Way to Build a Longboard | Good Roads12:12
    The Absolute Easiest Way to Build a Longboard | Good Roads
    invidious
    406 views
    Thumbnail for Impossible pencil trick 😲✏️ | Wian0:18
    Impossible pencil trick 😲✏️ | Wian
    invidious
    164 views
    Thumbnail for High School Boys Are Trending Conservative1:19
    High School Boys Are Trending Conservative
    bestofupgoat
    414 views
    Thumbnail for Science Genius Girl | JD4:12
    Science Genius Girl | JD
    invidious
    380 views
    Thumbnail for My name is Giovanni Giorgio | Sergio Poddighe0:13
    My name is Giovanni Giorgio | Sergio Poddighe
    invidious
    243 views
    Thumbnail for Mac Broke the Dam | SomePkmn-LovingDude1:11
    Mac Broke the Dam | SomePkmn-LovingDude
    invidious
    184 views
    Thumbnail for Deep Purple - Child In Time - Live (1970) | Deep Purple Official9:36
    Deep Purple - Child In Time - Live (1970) | Deep Purple Official
    invidious
    433 views
    Thumbnail for Rihanna, Avicii, Justin Bieber, Kygo, Selena Gomez, Alok, Bastille, David Guetta - Summer Nostalgia1:00
    Rihanna, Avicii, Justin Bieber, Kygo, Selena Gomez, Alok, Bastille, David Guetta - Summer Nostalgia
    invidious
    330 views
    Thumbnail for 🖤🖤🤍🤍 | Lorenzo Brock0:20
    🖤🖤🤍🤍 | Lorenzo Brock
    invidious
    274 views
    Thumbnail for Tucker Carlson Talks to Reason.tv9:18
    Tucker Carlson Talks to Reason.tv
    ReasonVids
    1008 views
    Thumbnail for UFC Fighter Bryce Mitchell says he won’t be vaccinating his kid & wants to homeschool him so he doesn’t end up gay and communist2:31
    UFC Fighter Bryce Mitchell says he won’t be vaccinating his kid & wants to homeschool him so he doesn’t end up gay and communist
    bestofupgoat
    420 views
    Thumbnail for Shaqueefa vs Chin-kee squad, does battle then randomly falls asleep 🤔0:27
    Shaqueefa vs Chin-kee squad, does battle then randomly falls asleep 🤔
    bestofupgoat
    239 views
    Thumbnail for Teaching is Not a Crime: VA's Unconstitutional Regulation of Yoga Teacher Training - Press 12/1/095:47
    Teaching is Not a Crime: VA's Unconstitutional Regulation of Yoga Teacher Training - Press 12/1/09
    IJvids
    1000 views
    Thumbnail for Nintendo attempts to kill physical media for good2:36
    Nintendo attempts to kill physical media for good
    bestofupgoat
    90 views
    Thumbnail for Montana’s Yoga Pants Ban is a Joke (or is it?) Nanny of the Month (Feb ‘15)1:44
    Montana’s Yoga Pants Ban is a Joke (or is it?) Nanny of the Month (Feb ‘15)
    ReasonVids
    970 views
    Thumbnail for Reason.tv at Slamdance: Drug War, Colombia-Style5:18
    Reason.tv at Slamdance: Drug War, Colombia-Style
    ReasonVids
    963 views

points

Permalink
Reply
ij
,
institute for justice
,
civil
,
asset
,
forfeiture
,
abuse
,
constitution
,
constitutional
,
unconstitutional
,
research
,
chip
,
mellor
,
scott
,
bullock
,
law
,
legal
,
challenge
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle