So you believe this is a free country. I will never travel again.

Robin Hood rides again - highwaymen robbing from the rich and giving to the poor.
 
I don't believe someone buying a used car is rich. That could have been every penny those folks had.

The rich would fight this in court. The poor do not have the money to come back and fight and the police know this.
 
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Robin Hood was an armed robber. Nothing more.

That is EXACTLY what is going on here. People are being robbed (theft through force or threat of force).
 
It is just traffic ticket revenue taken to the next level. Funny when I point out that millennials are avoiding driving at huge numbers because a car is a tool of oppression no one believes me, everyone wants to blame computers.
 
Steve Foley said:
Robin Hood was an armed robber. Nothing more.

That is EXACTLY what is going on here. People are being robbed (theft through force or threat of force).
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Yes I have to agree with that for sure.
 
Check this out, found as a reply on one of these pages I posted.

Misty Rae1, September 7, 2012 at 12:15 am
They confiscated from me in North Carolina, in my own small town, 10,949.00 from my home, under the guise that when I reported my wallet stolen, that I had been in a drug area ( I was new to the town and was lost) that I was suspected of trying to buy drugs, the 2 detectives came to my home claiming they need more information, the next thing I know 15 officers surrounded my home with dogs and I was, I felt coerced to allow consent to a search, for drugs ONLY- which they ofcourse found none, but I had just moved and carried the cash, that I have more than ample documentation to prove it legal, tax paid funds that were to be deposited within a local bank-but I never got a chance, they took it and said it was “bundled” like drug money- how can this be legal- who can I turn to- this town is so corrupt, they now follow me around town, almost to the feeling of harrasment and they are going around to my neighbors telling them that I had 10,000 confiscated becaused they belived it to be enough to of course buy drugs, is this the only thing we can buy with cash anymore? Is cash illegal to have and it was in my own home- I feel as though somewhere my 4th amendment has been violated- but who do I turn to? Anyone have any suggestions? I would be greatful, it is monies left to my daughter for her higher education- these are the most sickening stories, I have no faith in the “system” if I ever did- they are more crooked than anyone I have ever met, SWAT member convicted finaly of stealing drugs from evidence locker and selling them, our Probation officer lives with Ashville, NC 2nd largest drug dealer, one of our patrol officers knocked up a 17 year old, never got so much as a slap on the wrist, reason- well she turned 18 by the time the kid is born- WHAT? Since when he is 45 she is 17 and anywhere else, anyone else would have been arrested and tagged a sex offender and arrested- AMAZING, how do I fight that??
 
Not that uncommon, but not usually that blatant. There were a lot if issues along the N/S interstate around here a few years ago. If you were stopped, and had any amount of cash, it was confiscated because "you must have been doing something wrong." Then the feds got involved because the locals and the states were keeping the cash instead of turning it over to them. I think the only reason it's not been as big an issue lately is that the locals/states don't care anymore since they won't get to keep it.
 
Steve Foley said:
Robin Hood rides again - highwaymen robbing from the rich and giving to the poor.
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Robin Hood robbed from the King's tax collectors and gave to the poor taxpayers. In this case it's the government that's doing the robbing.
 
roncachamp said:
Robin Hood robbed from the King's tax collectors and gave to the poor taxpayers. In this case it's the government that's doing the robbing.
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I've never seen a version where he limited his targets to the King's tax collectors. But since he's a fictional character, you can make up whatever makes you feel good.
 
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1600vw said:
I remember being able to travel this great country without having to deal with this. We are not free folks.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/..._1_highway-robbery-asset-forfeiture-law-crime
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It is upsetting and disturbing, but hardly a nation-wide problem. It is a very specific part of a rather large country.

In the past couple decades, it has been not infrequently highlighted by the national news that this sort of thing has been going on in the state of Louisiana. I remember 60 Minutes doing an expose story back in the 90's on that exact same type of behaviour by LA State Troopers.

Sounds like nothin's changed.

I just make it a point to avoid that area whenever possible.
 
Been going on for years. In TN drugs go in one way, money comes out the other. Which side of the highway do you think the cops sit on?
 
Texas operates in it's own time zone, 1957.
 
dell30rb said:
Abuse of power by law enforcement is not restricted to texas
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True, but Texas seems to consistently wins the gold medal. And this small town's theft of property doesn't hold a candle to Dallas County's well documented acts of prosecutorial malfeasance back in the 70's and 80's that resulted in numerous innocent people being executed. Prosecutors knew the accused were innocent, hid evidence from the defense and concentrated on clearing their caseload. If it weren't for DNA these acts would never have come to light.
 
dell30rb said:
Abuse of power by law enforcement is not restricted to texas
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We need to appoint civilian police commissions to oversee Police, who have the power of the purse, i.e., the ability to not pay police and control their budgets to give them real teeth. Then you need to staff them with a majority of people who distrust them or who at least are open-minded and can see that certain police conduct places them in the same category as the criminals they arrest. . . .

Its the only way to defang the police mafias. Then - when you get a good force and good leadership those suspicious of police get won over - THEN you have good supervision = if its an us vs. them environment between the Commission and hte Police you know you have a problem - with the police.
 
Just wondering why those people allowed their cars to be searched without probable cause. * Not a lawyer, just remember that from one constitutional law class the professor drilling into out heads never to allow a search without a warrant, no matter what.
 
Having served in such a position for nine years, I agree. It's not a perfect system but it's better than most others.

comanchepilot said:
We need to appoint civilian police commissions to oversee Police, who have the power of the purse, i.e., the ability to not pay police and control their budgets to give them real teeth. Then you need to staff them with a majority of people who distrust them or who at least are open-minded and can see that certain police conduct places them in the same category as the criminals they arrest. . . .

Its the only way to defang the police mafias. Then - when you get a good force and good leadership those suspicious of police get won over - THEN you have good supervision = if its an us vs. them environment between the Commission and hte Police you know you have a problem - with the police.
Click to expand...
 
bluee said:
Just wondering why those people allowed their cars to be searched without probable cause. * Not a lawyer, just remember that from one constitutional law class the professor drilling into out heads never to allow a search without a warrant, no matter what.
Click to expand...

The cops had guns. How do you suggest they stop them?
 
comanchepilot said:
We need to appoint civilian police commissions to oversee Police, who have the power of the purse, i.e., the ability to not pay police and control their budgets to give them real teeth. Then you need to staff them with a majority of people who distrust them or who at least are open-minded and can see that certain police conduct places them in the same category as the criminals they arrest. . . .

Its the only way to defang the police mafias. Then - when you get a good force and good leadership those suspicious of police get won over - THEN you have good supervision = if its an us vs. them environment between the Commission and hte Police you know you have a problem - with the police.
Click to expand...

This civilian commission would presumably live in the same area, so it could easily be corrupted, or coerced by the same bad cops. No, what they need is the same thing that they used back in the '30s, a Federal agency from outside the state that could investigate and arrest the bad cops. When convicted, they would go to Federal prisons in other states.

If the problem is wide spread, an ad campaign with an 800 number needs to be promoted so the citizens know there is help available. It will also require a significant operating budget, as a lot of bogus claims and calls will be made, but this is how you solve this problem.
 
Couldn't we just mandate that assets seized under so-called forfeiture laws are required to be provided to charities who support victims of these crimes?

Seems that'd de-incentivize this horsesh.t promptly. Cop budgets are hardly small. All of the rollers around me are in newer cars than I drive, with all sorts of cool gadgetry.

So... is this stuff becoming more prevalent recently, or is reporting of it becoming more common? Sickening.
 
bluee said:
Just wondering why those people allowed their cars to be searched without probable cause. * Not a lawyer, just remember that from one constitutional law class the professor drilling into out heads never to allow a search without a warrant, no matter what.
Click to expand...

And then the cops say, "No problem, we'll get a warrant. Might take 4-5 hours, might even take 12 hours to get that warrant but I can have another officer come out and sit with you while we wait for the judge to say OK. We're getting paid, whether we sit here with you or whether we are out doing something else. You sure you don't want to just consent? We don't have anywhere else to be."

And guess what, they bring out the K-9 unit, and signal the dog to start barking like he found something. Busted. The cops are not there to serve and protect anyone's interest but their own.
 
schmookeeg said:
Couldn't we just mandate that assets seized under so-called forfeiture laws are required to be provided to charities who support victims of these crimes?

Seems that'd de-incentivize this horsesh.t promptly. Cop budgets are hardly small. All of the rollers around me are in newer cars than I drive, with all sorts of cool gadgetry.

So... is this stuff becoming more prevalent recently, or is reporting of it becoming more common? Sickening.
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Cash won't get reported.
 
Folks, we have a section called Spin Zone, which is where this sort of topic belongs.
 
bluee said:
Just wondering why those people allowed their cars to be searched without probable cause. * Not a lawyer, just remember that from one constitutional law class the professor drilling into out heads never to allow a search without a warrant, no matter what.
Click to expand...

Then your law professor was an idiot because in almost every jurisdiction no actual warrant is required to search a vehicle.

But to the extent your post was about consenting to a search voluntarily regardless of police cause...that is a different issue.
 
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alaskaflyer said:
Then your law professor was an idiot because in almost every jurisdiction no actual warrant is required to search a vehicle.

But to the extent your post was about consenting to a search voluntarily regardless of police cause...that is a different issue.
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In Montana, they can't even ask.
 
bluee said:
Just wondering why those people allowed their cars to be searched without probable cause. * Not a lawyer, just remember that from one constitutional law class the professor drilling into out heads never to allow a search without a warrant, no matter what.
Click to expand...

If they have probable cause they can search whatever they want, and probable cause can be whatever they want it to be.........
 
DavidWhite said:
If they have probable cause they can search whatever they want, and probable cause can be whatever they want it to be.........
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Depends on the state, Montana... that won't go and they can't ask without warrant in hand. If they ask without a warrant and you agree, whatever they find won't be brought up in court. Consequently, judges are "on call"
 
alaskaflyer said:
Then your law professor was an idiot because in almost every jurisdiction no actual warrant is required to search a vehicle.

But to the extent your post was about consenting to a search voluntarily regardless of police cause...that is a different issue.
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An ACLU video I saw said that you should say "I do not consent to any searches," but they did NOT say that you should try to stop them if they decide to search anyway. :eek:
 
Yet the cops are no where to be found when an actual crime is happening.
 
bartmc said:
Depends on the state, Montana... that won't go and they can't ask without warrant in hand. If they ask without a warrant and you agree, whatever they find won't be brought up in court. Consequently, judges are "on call"
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Alaska is similar. Might be another state I'm not aware of too. But for the plurality of states, and for all federal officers regardless of in which state they happen to be located at the time, judicial review of probable cause for a search of a vehicle usually takes place much later after the event upon a motion by the defendant if it gets that far, not beforehand in a warrant affidavit and affirmation like in other circumstances where there may be a REOP. That's generally been the law of the land for a long long time. Some agencies make it a practice of obtaining a warrant on a serious cases for prophylactic purposes so to speak, even though it isn't strictly needed. In over twenty years I've only done it once, specifically at the request of the US Attorney's office, on a case involving a possible homicide. The rest of the time I've determined if I have probable cause, and chosen to search with the knowledge that what I find might be suppressed if a judge disagrees with my assessment later.

And as has been previously discussed here a vehicle is more than a truck or car on a highway. Boats, airplanes, RVs, snowmobiles - even bicycles and mules.

I'm not commenting on asset forfeiture or consent searches here, just clarifying the state of the law in almost every state for anyone who incorrectly believes they can say "not without a warrant!" on the side of the road, trail or airport ramp. A better response if you want to make that choice and make it clearly is "not without probable cause!"
 
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