Eric Holder just issued a huge blow to the drug war. This is big.
Today the Justice Department barred local and state police from using a federal program to seize a person’s property without evidence of a crime.
That might sound odd, since you would assume that it was already illegal in America for police to take your property without due process – but you would be wrong. Originally pushed in the 1980s as a way to combat illegal drugs, civil asset forfeiture has become common throughout the country.
Today people all over America who are simply suspected of drug law violations can have their assets seized without any ability to defend themselves in a court of law. Even if they are never convicted, or even charged with a crime they can have their property, bank accounts, cars, and assets taken from them forever. If this doesn’t enrage you, I don’t know what will.
Civil asset forfeiture is another ugly aspect of the drug war, and here at the Drug Policy Alliance we are making it a top issue in 2015.
If you stand with us tweet out your support now to end unjust civil asset forfeiture for good!
Today’s actions by Eric Holder are a good first step to ending the unjust enforcement of this program once and for all. But now Congress needs to pass legislation to make this change permanent.
Apparently the DEA is still able to use civil forfeiture and how many drug raids have you heard about that the DEA was not involved in ? So is this just another smoke and mirrors edict… so that all the funds from civil forfeitures will go to the FEDS and the FEDS will just keep all the money/assets or just redistribute monies back to the state and local parts of the judicial system ?
Filed under: General Problems
Anonymous….because 99% of the media is in the back pocket and are the cheerleaders of the current administration. The only network not is Fox News and while I believe they would probably cover such stories, they are so inindated right now trying to keep all the other indicretions of branch overreach out there in front of the voters. To be fair, I have watched the other networks, it’s disgusting the blatant propaganda and one sidedness on their stories. Fox does present both sides and it’s obvious when the left won’t answer the questions. Funny, how people who spew hate about that channel, never watch it (hmm Bob Beckel, Juan Williams, Kirsten Powers, Alan Combs, Doug Schoen…definitely not from the right), Any journalist with ethics is being run out on a rail from their job at the networks (Sheryl Atkinson for one). Congress needs to defund the DEA,
It’s amazing that this one agency could be allowed to create so much harm. Patients are treated as guilty, doctors are being limited and investigated for caring for patients all to make money for the government. Why is the media afraid to touch these subjects? Who ever knew of a federal agency that could be so greedy and hurtful.
Civil forfitures are a way of getting around due process through the IRS and a catchall way to seize assets and then the Government makes it’s case. Business as usual. With me, I have little but a humble domicile to live and a ten year old car. I guess they will take it if I had anything to be worried about.