How The NYPD’s Use Of Civil Forfeiture Funds Their Pensions, But Robs Innocent New Yorkers

[Tod]

How The NYPD’s Use Of Civil Forfeiture Funds Their Pensions, But Robs Innocent New Yorkers

Any arrest in New York City can trigger a civil forfeiture case if money or property is found on or near a defendant, regardless of the reasons surrounding the arrest or its final disposition. In the past ten years, the NYPD has escalated the amount of civil forfeiture actions it pursues as public defense offices have been stretched thin by the huge amount of criminal cases across the city.

“One of the main problems with civil forfeiture is that you’re not assigned a lawyer, it being a civil and not a criminal case,” Smith explains. “Most people can’t afford lawyers, and that gives the government a tremendous advantage.”

So, while in a criminal case, the citizen is guaranteed representation; the civil charges mean it’s up to you to find a lawyer willing to take your case against the NYPD and who it won’t cost more than the amount of money stolen from you.

Seizing money obtained illicitly is a significant crime-fighting (and funding) mechanism for the NYPD. But according to Kessler’s research, in 85% of forfeiture cases pursued by the NYPD, the property owner is never charged with a crime. Despite their innocence, many of these people face an uphill battle against the NYPD to get their money back........more at link
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http://www.maxkeiser.com/2014/01/ho...their-pensions-but-robs-innocent-new-yorkers/

 

[Christian Liberty]

"Profesionalism" "Courtesy" and "Respect."

Or at least, that's what the government propaganda says.

I want to vomit, but I'm not surprised. NYPD cops are some of the most evil people in the country.

 

[Spikender]

The cops find many ways to squeeze any kind of coin out of the peasantry that isn't already collected through excessive bail, toll roads, and unnecessary and frivolous tickets.

Just NYPD doing what it does best, which is sucking every productive citizen of the state dry.

 

[Suzanimal]

You can see how your state ranks here..

http://www.ij.org/asset-forfeiture-report-grade-detail

Policing for Profit: The Abuse of Civil Asset Forfeiture
Civil forfeiture laws represent one of the most serious assaults on private property rights in the nation today. Under civil forfeiture, police and prosecutors can seize your car or other property, sell it and use the proceeds to fund agency budgets—all without so much as charging you with a crime. Unlike criminal forfeiture, where property is taken after its owner has been found guilty in a court of law, with civil forfeiture, owners need not be charged with or convicted of a crime to lose homes, cars, cash or other property.

Americans are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, but civil forfeiture turns that principle on its head. With civil forfeiture, your property is guilty until you prove it innocent.


Policing for Profit: The Abuse of Civil Asset Forfeiture chronicles how state and federal laws leave innocent property owners vulnerable to forfeiture abuse and encourage law enforcement to take property to boost their budgets. The report finds that by giving law enforcement a direct financial stake in forfeiture efforts, most state and federal laws encourage policing for profit, not justice.

Policing for Profit also grades the states on how well they protect property owners—only three states receive a B or better. And in most states, public accountability is limited as there is little oversight or reporting about how police and prosecutors use civil forfeiture or spend the proceeds.

Federal laws encourage even more civil forfeiture abuse through a loophole called “equitable sharing” that allows law enforcement to circumvent even the limited protections of state laws. With equitable sharing, law enforcement agencies can and do profit from forfeitures they wouldn’t be able to under state law.

It’s time to end civil forfeiture. People shouldn’t lose their property without being convicted of a crime, and law enforcement shouldn’t be able to profit from other people’s property

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http://www.ij.org/policing-for-profit-the-abuse-of-civil-asset-forfeiture-4

 

[Spikender]

You can see how your state ranks here..

http://www.ij.org/asset-forfeiture-report-grade-detail

http://www.ij.org/policing-for-profit-the-abuse-of-civil-asset-forfeiture-4

Virginia got a D-....

Doesn't surprise me in the least.

 

[Travlyr]

Cops are thieves like that. A couple of years ago, while on vacation, I stopped at a bar in San Luis Obispo, CA. I had too much to drink. I went to my car and fell asleep. Keys not in the ignition. An hour or so later a cop woke me up, ransacked my car, stole $600 cash, took me to county jail and kept me there overnight. They charged me with public intoxication and sent me a fine of $450. I felt lucky that I did not get beaten up or killed.