Driving through Texas can be hazardous to your wallet if you're black

[mgnwfy]

Originally posted by: Balt

Originally posted by: bamacre
Corrupt police aren't just in Texas...

http://www.baltimoresun.com/ne...4feb04,0,7029669.story

The federal suit is the second filed since March in U.S. District Court in Baltimore alleging "widespread and persistent" civil rights violations by police officers who belonged to an elite "Special Enforcement Team" that worked mainly in the southeastern part of the city.

Damn you, McNulty.

I was thinking the same thing when I read that.

 

[jonks]

Originally posted by: nobodyknows

Originally posted by: jonks

Originally posted by: nobodyknows

Originally posted by: jonks

Originally posted by: nobodyknows

Originally posted by: jonks

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
I do not condone the confiscation laws or entrapment or the virtual highway robbery that may be going on there, but, I have to wonder why these people paid up rather than go to court? Hmmm...

Yeah, that grandmother was probably smuggling illegal adult diapers. Jesus christ. You do know that many loan and job applications ask if people were ever arrested or charged with a crime even if ultimately acquitted? And they did go to court, they're suing now.

Are you really this gullible?

I don't know what that means, I tried to look it up but it wasn't on wikipedia.

Are you denying that cops apparently blackmailed motorists for cash, jewelry, cellphones, cars in exchange for letting them walk?

Yes, I deny that. It was the city doing it.

Why would anybody turn over thousands of dollars if they weren't caught red handed?

Now if you want to get "all uppity" about oit then complain about racial profiling but to act as if these people weren't soing something wrong is dishonest.

Why did the state return thousands of dollars if it wasn't wrongfully seized? Can play this game all day.

What if a student told her professor she wanted $5,000 or she'd tell people he sexually assaulted her one night during a private tutoring session, when she actually seduced him? I mean, he was innocent, it's not like just being accused of something can have a negative impact on your life or career...

They threatened an interracial couple by saying they'd take their fucking kids away from them. You wouldn't give in at that point if all they wanted was a few thousand dollars and you believed there was a chance the fucking redneck courts might actually back up the cops?

If I was in the right and had done nothing wrong I would never let them intimidate me. Maybe they could fuck me over, Maybe but they couldn't but I'd make it plain as day that paybacks can be hell.

Yes, everyone's tough on the internet. The cops and DA tell you they will take your kids if you don't hand over the cash and you'd dare them "go ahead!" They gave up the cash and then contacted an attorney and got the cash back, the smart move, without risking a protracted legal battle in bumblefuck texas. Maybe you don't like kids or something.

Sometimes being in the right and having done nothing wrong doesn't mean shit when you aren't holding any cards. They were scared and did what they needed to do to get the hell out of there, and later got their money back. Sounds like the smart move to me. Course, they could have objected, protested their innocence, not comprised, and been arrested, had their kids (ages 10 and 1) go through fucking hell, and months or years later been cleared of all charges. That would have been the right move according to you? That's called a pyrrhic victory.

 

[TheSlamma]

Originally posted by: Phokus
Republicans: Now that Barack Obama is president, there's no such thing as racism anymore, get over it!

Democrats: :roll:

No but seriously, a lot of Texas is racist as hell.

Is this really considered input on the article?

Sounds to me like the FBI needs to go through this place and toss some cops in prison for a minimum of 20 years and make sure they are in GP. That way when everyone finds out then it becomes a non-issue of when they get out.

 

[nobodyknows]

Originally posted by: jonks

Originally posted by: nobodyknows

Originally posted by: jonks

Originally posted by: nobodyknows

Originally posted by: jonks

Originally posted by: nobodyknows

Originally posted by: jonks

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
I do not condone the confiscation laws or entrapment or the virtual highway robbery that may be going on there, but, I have to wonder why these people paid up rather than go to court? Hmmm...

Yeah, that grandmother was probably smuggling illegal adult diapers. Jesus christ. You do know that many loan and job applications ask if people were ever arrested or charged with a crime even if ultimately acquitted? And they did go to court, they're suing now.

Are you really this gullible?

I don't know what that means, I tried to look it up but it wasn't on wikipedia.

Are you denying that cops apparently blackmailed motorists for cash, jewelry, cellphones, cars in exchange for letting them walk?

Yes, I deny that. It was the city doing it.

Why would anybody turn over thousands of dollars if they weren't caught red handed?

Now if you want to get "all uppity" about oit then complain about racial profiling but to act as if these people weren't soing something wrong is dishonest.

Why did the state return thousands of dollars if it wasn't wrongfully seized? Can play this game all day.

What if a student told her professor she wanted $5,000 or she'd tell people he sexually assaulted her one night during a private tutoring session, when she actually seduced him? I mean, he was innocent, it's not like just being accused of something can have a negative impact on your life or career...

They threatened an interracial couple by saying they'd take their fucking kids away from them. You wouldn't give in at that point if all they wanted was a few thousand dollars and you believed there was a chance the fucking redneck courts might actually back up the cops?

If I was in the right and had done nothing wrong I would never let them intimidate me. Maybe they could fuck me over, Maybe but they couldn't but I'd make it plain as day that paybacks can be hell.

Yes, everyone's tough on the internet. The cops and DA tell you they will take your kids if you don't hand over the cash and you'd dare them "go ahead!" They gave up the cash and then contacted an attorney and got the cash back, the smart move, without risking a protracted legal battle in bumblefuck texas. Maybe you don't like kids or something.

Sometimes being in the right and having done nothing wrong doesn't mean shit when you aren't holding any cards. They were scared and did what they needed to do to get the hell out of there, and later got their money back. Sounds like the smart move to me. Course, they could have objected, protested their innocence, not comprised, and been arrested, had their kids (ages 10 and 1) go through fucking hell, and months or years later been cleared of all charges. That would have been the right move according to you? That's called a pyrrhic victory.

Or the cops might have backed down. It seems all they had was an unused pot pipe that was for a "gift". <nod, nod, wink, wink>

Then again maybe they had something else in there?

I retract my question about you being gullible.

 

[cKGunslinger]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
I do not condone the confiscation laws or entrapment or the virtual highway robbery that may be going on there, but, I have to wonder why these people paid up rather than go to court? Hmmm...

Indeed. The police here are *way* out of line, but don't let this fact create the illusion that purely innocent people are being targetted. "Decorative glass for my sister" and "$6k in cash to buy a used car?" Sure, that scenario may be true in rare cases, but this article talks about a *lot* of people willingly surrendering thousands of dolars in cash-on-hand to avoid trouble with the law.

But the more pressing topic is indeed the shakedowns by these Podunkville patrolmen.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Originally posted by: halik
People are idiots,
even if you had a glass pipe in the car, why the hell would you let some hick cops hassle you? Glass pipes aren't illegal and you need actual probable cause to search someone's car. If that happened to me, that settlement from the cop's B.S. harassment would pay for my grad school loans.

[tex cop] Ooooweee! we got us a real Pheeelidelpia lawyer here boys, hand me my knife he's gonna squeal real good

If the court record shows 200 seizures I'm pretty sure they must have encountered a few conciencious objectors and know how to deal with them. And they evidently have a pretty solid method of scaring the shit out of people. I would not be a bit surprised if more than a couple have ended up in shallow unmarked graves.

As a long time Texas resident I can tell you that law enforement corruption and abuse in that area of southeast Texas and the bording counties in Lousianna is longstanding and legendary. I avoid that area at all costs

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy

Originally posted by: halik
People are idiots,
even if you had a glass pipe in the car, why the hell would you let some hick cops hassle you? Glass pipes aren't illegal and you need actual probable cause to search someone's car. If that happened to me, that settlement from the cop's B.S. harassment would pay for my grad school loans.

[tex cop] Ooooweee! we got us a real Pheeelidelpia lawyer here boys, hand me my knife he's gonna squeal real good

If the court record shows 200 seizures I'm pretty sure they must have encountered a few conciencious objectors and know how to deal with them. And they evidently have a pretty solid method of scaring the shit out of people. I would not be a bit surprised if more than a couple have ended up in shallow unmarked graves.

As a long time Texas resident I can tell you that law enforement corruption and abuse in that area of southeast Texas and the bording counties in Lousianna is longstanding and legendary. I avoid that area at all costs

I think it's more likely they pulled over 1000 people to try the shit on and 200 responded to the cops with "I scared of da white poo-leez man,oh yessa" stereotype, so the cops took them for their money.

Anyone with a half decent attorney would be on that like shit on velcro... police harassment AND extortion by the DA? Hell that would be pro-bono.

 

[ericlp]

two sides to every story. I'll take the cops side 99% of the time.

 

[CitizenKain]

Originally posted by: ericlp
two sides to every story. I'll take the cops side 99% of the time.

That is incredibly foolish.

 

[ModerateRepZero]

yet another example of why asset forfeiture has gone haywire