Lawmakers in Congress have reintroduced legislation to curtail one of the most wicked and tyrannical practices employed by law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, and local levels of government. Republican and Democratic legislators are putting forth the Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration Act (FAIR Act) to reform civil asset forfeiture in the U.S.
For those who are unaware of civil asset forfeiture, it is a legal process by which law enforcement officers can seize assets such as cash, vehicles, property, homes, and others if they suspect their owner of having been connected to criminal activity.
Note, this practice is not limited to people who have been convicted of a crime. Rather, law enforcement is legally authorized to take one’s property even if they just suspect the property has been used to commit an offense – there is no “innocent until proven guilty” when it comes to civil asset forfeiture.
Asset forfeiture, which is derisively known as “Policing for Profit,” has been one of the most egregious abuses of power that nobody seems to know about. The money that comes from the property that is stolen from civilians typically goes into the coffers of law enforcement agencies, creating a lucrative incentive for them to abuse this process.
Fortunately, at least some members of Congress see the problem in employing such measures. Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) declared that he is joining with Reps. Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Jamie Raskin (D-MD to reintroduce the FAIR Act as a “comprehensive reform to our nation’s civil asset forfeiture laws,” according to Armstrong’s website. The proposal would “raise the level of proof necessary for the federal government to seize property” and “reforms the IRS structuring statute to protect innocent small business owners,” while increasing “transparency and congressional oversight.”
We used to KILL highway robbers.
If this BS is ANY different than stopping travelers and TAKING whatever you want, under ANY pretense, under the threat of getting shot for resisting, please fill me in.
Using a BADGE to do it doesn’t count as a reason. THAT actually makes it worse.
If any of you have ever read the reasons given by the Gestapo for doing this, you’d want to ask, “You really thought that?”. “We, the people” have the ABSOLUTE RIGHT to carry as much cash as we care to have.
I know a couple of farmers and a couple of businessmen who ALWAYS have 2-3 thousand dollars on them, sometimes more.
Until they encounter Himmler and his storm troopers.
The police don’t get to decide who has that right and force citizens to justify it to them. BEG to get your money back….
NOTE: They DON’T have that right. They just do it anyway. Don’t like it? Get killed.
Of course, somewhere along the line, they also gave themselves permission to stop hundreds of INNOCENT people to check to see if, maybe, possibly, in some way, they MIGHT be committing a crime. For our “safety”, which is the biggest bunch of BS for taking the Constitution and wiping their ace with it.
And don’t forget their idea that THEY get to dole out our 2nd Amendment right as THEY see fit.
WHEN and HOW did “We, the People” allow them to get that much power? I’ve read the entire Constitution and I have never seen anything in it that gives police the right to re-write that document to suit their personal desire for power (and MONEY. Don’t forget the money).
**apparently, salisbury news has some new content moderators. Seems like they are liberal democrat “monitors”, too. So we’ll see if this gets their “approval”.