• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

The Justice Department just shut down a huge asset forfeiture program

Page 3 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Darwin333 said:
I guess that would depend on how much of your stuff they were seizing. If they were trying to take your car and house, both of which you still owe the bank for and will continue owing the bank for, you might be a bit more willing.
Click to expand...

It'll never become that pervasive. With this move from the DoJ, it'll likely become less so, a start in the right direction.

The fight to legalize cannabis should be illustrative. It's how to eat an elephant- one bite at a time. That's half the WoD & likely represents a like number of seizures. If we could figure out how to end the WoD entirely then forfeitures would fall to nearly nothing.

Or we can pout in moral indignation trying to get attention.
 
Jhhnn said:
It'll never become that pervasive. With this move from the DoJ, it'll likely become less so, a start in the right direction.
Click to expand...

http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/03/us/philadelphia-drug-bust-house-seizure/

Ok so they left them their cars.

The fight to legalize cannabis should be illustrative. It's how to eat an elephant- one bite at a time. That's half the WoD & likely represents a like number of seizures. If we could figure out how to end the WoD entirely then forfeitures would fall to nearly nothing.

Or we can pout in moral indignation trying to get attention.
Click to expand...

I agree but unfortunately I don't see the political climate to end the WoD anytime soon.
 
Darwin333 said:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/03/us/philadelphia-drug-bust-house-seizure/

Ok so they left them their cars.



I agree but unfortunately I don't see the political climate to end the WoD anytime soon.
Click to expand...

Yes, the Philadelphia DA is a prick's prick, the master of chickenshit & proud of it. His office crossed the line in that case & it's been shoved back in his face-

http://www.phillymag.com/news/2014/12/19/d-drops-forfeiture-cases-drew-national-attention/

The political climate is right to end half of the WoD, the War on Marijuana. Given the ongoing success of increased legalization, it's a dead man walking. Put to the test by CO & WA, Obama & Holder made the right choice, deftly framed it as States' Rights, left the opposition trapped by their own bullshit rhetoric.

In that & in other respects they've done a great deal to advance civil liberties for all of us.
 
Jhhnn said:
It'll never become that pervasive. With this move from the DoJ, it'll likely become less so, a start in the right direction.

The fight to legalize cannabis should be illustrative. It's how to eat an elephant- one bite at a time. That's half the WoD & likely represents a like number of seizures. If we could figure out how to end the WoD entirely then forfeitures would fall to nearly nothing.

Or we can pout in moral indignation trying to get attention.
Click to expand...

Looks like that bite of the elephant they took didn't sit well in their stomachs as they just re-instituted the equitable sharing.

The Department of Justice is pleased to announce that, effective immediately, the Department is resuming Equitable Sharing payments to State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies. As you know, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 included a $746 million permanent reduction, or “rescission,” that, when combined with the additional rescission of $458 million contained in the Consolidated Appropriations Act signed into law in December 2015, reduced Asset Forfeiture Program funds by $1.2 billion. Those rescissions threatened the financial solvency of the Assets Forfeiture Fund, and forced the Department to take cost-cutting steps across all discretionary programs, including on December 21, 2015, the deferral of Equitable Sharing payments.
Click to expand...
 
eskimospy said:
What's funny is that nobody provided a single excuse. This is super shitty. How does that change your view?
Click to expand...
I'm pleasantly surprised. I thought for sure there would be a "but Republicans" coming. It's rather quiet in here, and I doubt it would be so if a Republican administration had done this, but I'll take silence over excuses I suppose.
 
I had a feeling that this was purely for money on the feds part and unfortunately I was right. However I didn't expect them to reverse it so quick.
 
Darwin333 said:
I had a feeling that this was purely for money on the feds part and unfortunately I was right. However I didn't expect them to reverse it so quick.
Click to expand...
Sadly, a momentary pause (probably to realign percentages) is apparently as good as it gets in D.C. Sanders might change that during his term, Trump . . . Well, no one really knows what the hell Trump might do. But certainly this is the mainline view among the establishment of both parties.

To be charitable to Obama, perhaps he really wanted to change this but like Gitmo, had to reverse course to save political capital for something he wanted more. Likely we'll never know the truth since our politicians are conditioned to never admit defeat, only advancing in a different direction.
 
werepossum said:
Sadly, a momentary pause (probably to realign percentages) is apparently as good as it gets in D.C. Sanders might change that during his term, Trump . . . Well, no one really knows what the hell Trump might do. But certainly this is the mainline view among the establishment of both parties.

To be charitable to Obama, perhaps he really wanted to change this but like Gitmo, had to reverse course to save political capital for something he wanted more. Likely we'll never know the truth since our politicians are conditioned to never admit defeat, only advancing in a different direction.
Click to expand...

Frankly I'm actually taking their word on this one. The DOJs budget was going to be short so they kept all the proceeds until the shortfall was erased and then re-instituted it to keep the local LEO's motivated.

I would love to see comparisons of how much was seized during the period versus the same time period last year. Maybe they re-instituted it so quick because seizures dropped like a stone now that LEO didn't have any incentive to steal from the people they swore to protect and serve.
 
Darwin333 said:
Frankly I'm actually taking their word on this one. The DOJs budget was going to be short so they kept all the proceeds until the shortfall was erased and then re-instituted it to keep the local LEO's motivated.

I would love to see comparisons of how much was seized during the period versus the same time period last year. Maybe they re-instituted it so quick because seizures dropped like a stone now that LEO didn't have any incentive to steal from the people they swore to protect and serve.
Click to expand...
Sounds reasonable.

Well . . . sounds likely. Depriving unconvicted citizens of their property without trial should never be considered reasonable. lol
 
Asset forfeiture is basically legalized stealing by law enforcement. Its a shameful practice that embarasses me as an american citizen, and needs to be heavily reformed overall.
 
Last edited:
Sunburn74 said:
Asset forfeiture is basically legalized stealing by law enforcement. Its a shameful practice that embarasses me as an american citizen, and needs to be heavily reformed overall.
Click to expand...
And it surely will be ended just as soon as the Democrats . . . Um . . . I mean, just as soon as the Republicans . . .

Ruh roh.
 
Sunburn74 said:
Asset forfeiture is basically legalized stealing by law enforcement. Its a shameful practice that embarasses me as an american citizen, and needs to be heavily reformed overall.
Click to expand...

It's quite literally armed robbery by agents of the state. The absurdity of charging property with a "crime" and said property has absolutely no due process is just crazy. Hell the absurdity of being able to take your property without even charging you with any sort of criminal offense, quite often employing literal extortion, is beyond crazy in a free society on its own.
 
werepossum said:
And it surely will be ended just as soon as the Democrats . . . Um . . . I mean, just as soon as the Republicans . . .

Ruh roh.
Click to expand...

Right now I think there is a better chance of Trump, Obama and Cruz becoming lovers in some crazy gay lovers triangle then an end to this practice.
 
werepossum said:
Sadly, a momentary pause (probably to realign percentages) is apparently as good as it gets in D.C. Sanders might change that during his term, Trump . . . Well, no one really knows what the hell Trump might do. But certainly this is the mainline view among the establishment of both parties.
Click to expand...

Obviously Trump would use this delay to reapportion all of the gold objects obtained in forfeiture to be melted down and used in fixtures for his airplane and for the oval office bathroom.
 
Darwin333 said:
It's quite literally armed robbery by agents of the state. The absurdity of charging property with a "crime" and said property has absolutely no due process is just crazy. Hell the absurdity of being able to take your property without even charging you with any sort of criminal offense, quite often employing literal extortion, is beyond crazy in a free society on its own.
Click to expand...

I see it was never linked in this thread for some reason, so I'll just link it again.

Everyone likes a daily (Weekend) dose of rage, now and then.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/08/12/taken
 
Darwin333 said:
Right now I think there is a better chance of Trump, Obama and Cruz becoming lovers in some crazy gay lovers triangle then an end to this practice.
Click to expand...
😀 Probably.

zinfamous said:
Obviously Trump would use this delay to reapportion all of the gold objects obtained in forfeiture to be melted down and used in fixtures for his airplane and for the oval office bathroom.
Click to expand...
Could be.

zinfamous said:
I see it was never linked in this thread for some reason, so I'll just link it again.

Everyone likes a daily (Weekend) dose of rage, now and then.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/08/12/taken
Click to expand...
Eventually the sheep dogs figure out that eating dog food and fighting wolves is a lot less comfortable than simply ignoring the wolves and eating the lambs the wolves leave behind. As in this case; when they do catch an actual drug runner or money launderer, they don't prosecute because if they prosecute and lose, they have to give back the loot. And if you're an actual drug kingpin, your home is probably safe, since you have the money to effectively fight back if it's taken. Safer to seize forty homes worth $25,000 than to seize one worth a million.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top