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OK Can Now Seize Money From Prepaid Debit Cards, Without Filing Criminal Charges

See now THIS is something the ACLU ought to take up...the whole IDEA of forfeiture without a conviction. SCOTUS needs to take this up. I wonder why that hasn't happened.

It really boggles the mind. How this crap hasn't produced an explosion in public fury I don't understand.
 
See now THIS is something the ACLU ought to take up...

https://www.aclu.org/cases/cox-v-voyles-et-al

The ACLU has spoken out strongly against laws like this and have taken up some cases like the one above, but they can't take up a case unless someone is harmed by the law and then wants the ACLU's help. You can't come in and sue over something that hasn't harmed you.

If I were ever a victim of these stupid laws the ACLU would be the first organization I'd contact, right behind a lawyer.
 
See now THIS is something the ACLU ought to take up...the whole IDEA of forfeiture without a conviction. SCOTUS needs to take this up. I wonder why that hasn't happened.

I don't have a problem with this and long as the legal remedy for getting legally earned cash back is quick and easy.
 
It really boggles the mind. How this crap hasn't produced an explosion in public fury I don't understand.

The concepts of "well it helps the cops! they can take cars and trucks and money away from drug smugglers and the like." People have a hard time thinking something like this would be abused right up until it happens to them or a friend.
 
I don't have a problem with this and long as the legal remedy for getting legally earned cash back is quick and easy.

Generally its very expensive and complicated.

https://www.aclu.org/cases/cox-v-voyles-et-al
In Arizona, civil asset forfeiture allows police to seize — and then keep or sell — any property they allege is involved in a crime. Owners need not ever be charged with or convicted of a crime for their cash, cars, or even real estate to be taken away permanently by the government.
In this case, Pinal County law enforcement used this unconstitutional scheme against Rhonda Cox, an innocent county resident, to seize and keep her used truck, violating her First, Fourth, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments rights. In order to keep her truck, the state didn’t have to prove that she did anything wrong – let alone criminal. In addition, the County Attorney’s office informed Ms. Cox that the state’s civil asset forfeiture laws would doubly punish her if she pursued her claim and didn’t win—in the end, she would lose her truck and be required to pay the county’s attorneys’ fees and investigation costs, which would exceed the value of her truck. Ms. Cox couldn’t absorb the financial risk involved, so she was forced to withdraw her claim and give up her truck to the authorities.

That's just an example case, but I'd say it's not rare, and it's probably the same thing in OK. You can fight for your stuff back, but if they decide to not give it to you, they'll tack on some extra charges for bothering them.
 
I don't have a problem with this and long as the legal remedy for getting legally earned cash back is quick and easy.

I think you should rethink that position. What is wrong with due process and why should we EVER allow it to be circumvented by "the state"? What is gained?
 
See now THIS is something the ACLU ought to take up...the whole IDEA of forfeiture without a conviction. SCOTUS needs to take this up. I wonder why that hasn't happened.

They are and have.. all over the country. John Oliver has a nice segment on this fascist behaviour.
 
I think you should rethink that position. What is wrong with due process and why should we EVER allow it to be circumvented by "the state"? What is gained?

Many times money is the only way to punish drug dealers. If you have $100,000 cash on you and it was earned legitimately it should be easy to prove that it's yours. Remember this is a civil matter so innocent till proven guilty is not part of the process.
 
Generally its very expensive and complicated.

https://www.aclu.org/cases/cox-v-voyles-et-al


That's just an example case, but I'd say it's not rare, and it's probably the same thing in OK. You can fight for your stuff back, but if they decide to not give it to you, they'll tack on some extra charges for bothering them.

I know that it isn't easy to get it back which is what needs to be fixed IMO.
 
Many times money is the only way to punish drug dealers. If you have $100,000 cash on you and it was earned legitimately it should be easy to prove that it's yours. Remember this is a civil matter so innocent till proven guilty is not part of the process.

IDGAF. The Government doesn't have the right to seize your property on a whim.
 
IDGAF. The Government doesn't have the right to seize your property on a whim.

And at the very least it should be that they can only take it for a limited time, like 2 days, and if they can't provide enough evidence to charge the person with a crime then they should get their **** back.
 
And at the very least it should be that they can only take it for a limited time, like 2 days, and if they can't provide enough evidence to charge the person with a crime then they should get their **** back.

And be able to *#*@(*ing sue if it can be demonstrated that property was seized without reasonable cause to suspect it's legitimacy.
 
This is the exact kind of thing the 'law and order' people will defend and have no problem with, but then in the next breath those same people will complain the government is getting too big and the US is turning into a police state.

I don't get it.
 
IDGAF. The Government doesn't have the right to seize your property on a whim.

Sure they do, if you have a bag of white power on your seat when the cops pull you over they can certainly seize it til they determine if it's drugs or not. I don't see any difference if the bag contains hundreds of thousands of dollars.
 
Sure they do, if you have a bag of white power on your seat when the cops pull you over they can certainly seize it til they determine if it's drugs or not. I don't see any difference if the bag contains hundreds of thousands of dollars.

That's not a whim, and while drugs are illegal, cash is not.
 
Many times money is the only way to punish drug dealers. If you have $100,000 cash on you and it was earned legitimately it should be easy to prove that it's yours. Remember this is a civil matter so innocent till proven guilty is not part of the process.

What? It's not a civil matter at all. And even if it were, one doesn't win or lose a civil suit until it's been adjudicated. Frankly, this should scare the crap out of everyone. That camel's nose thing and all.
 
What? It's not a civil matter at all. And even if it were, one doesn't win or lose a civil suit until it's been adjudicated. Frankly, this should scare the crap out of everyone. That camel's nose thing and all.

"Civil forfeiture" isn't a civil matter, sure thing Maggie. Maybe you need to read more about it.
 
That's not a whim, and while drugs are illegal, cash is not.

ill-gotten cash is and since it's a civil matter the burden becomes on the owner of the cash. My only issue is the legal remedy for getting back legitimate cash should be quicker. There is simply no possible way it could work the other way around as there is no way to prove that cash came from illegal means.
 
Many times money is the only way to punish drug dealers. If you have $100,000 cash on you and it was earned legitimately it should be easy to prove that it's yours. Remember this is a civil matter so innocent till proven guilty is not part of the process.
It's only a civil matter because the government artificially decreed it so for expediency purposes. Drug dealing is a criminal matter, hence any associated activity and/or gains associated is in reality a criminal matter as well.
 
"Civil forfeiture" isn't a civil matter, sure thing Maggie. Maybe you need to read more about it.

Sorry. What it IS and what it should be are two different things. And even civil trials saddle the plaintiff with the burden of proof.
 
Sure they do, if you have a bag of white power on your seat when the cops pull you over they can certainly seize it til they determine if it's drugs or not. I don't see any difference if the bag contains hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Even worse, if they find more than X amount (varies from area to area) of money, then they can seize it as "suspected drug money" and you wont get it back. Europeans are always recommended not to travel with large amount of cash in the US.. because the police (and criminals) can do this.

Forbes Welcome

Billions have been seized this way.. and go to funding local police.

Forbes Welcome

Since 9/11, without warrants and despite a lack of criminal charges, law enforcement nationwide has taken in $2.5 billion from 61,998 cash seizures under equitable sharing. This federal civil forfeiture program lets local and state law enforcement literally make a federal case out of a seizure, if they collaborate with a federal agency. Not only can they then bypass state forfeiture laws, they can pocket up to 80 percent of the proceeds. So of that $2.5 billion seized through equitable sharing, local and state authorities kept $1.7 billion for their own uses.

That is one hell of an incentive, if they can legally keep 80% of any money seized regardless of charges being made or not.... for a small local police force who is under massive budget constraints.. this can be and is the main source of funding (along with unwarranted fines). The whole Ferguson mess exposed that a huge portion of the public income came from the police seizing values and giving out fines galore to people (mostly blacks).
 
ill-gotten cash is and since it's a civil matter the burden becomes on the owner of the cash. My only issue is the legal remedy for getting back legitimate cash should be quicker. There is simply no possible way it could work the other way around as there is no way to prove that cash came from illegal means.

The burden of proof in a civil trial is ALWAYS on the plaintiff.
 
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