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More BIG GOVERNMENT run amuck! Out of control authority to ruin innocent people's lives.
These are the situations that should have all citizens up in arms. Why do we tolerate this abuse of power?
Crime pays for police
By Larry Salzman
Monday, October 10, 2011 - Updated 2 days ago
Russell and Patricia Caswell are a hard-working couple who may soon have their American Dream taken from them by the unholy alliance of local and federal law enforcement officials seeking to cash in on the Caswell’s property.
The Caswells face this dilemma even though they have broken no law and have spent their entire professional career working to combat crime with the very police force that now seeks to take their property though civil forfeiture. What is happening to Russ and Pat, however, is by no means an isolated instance and local law enforcement’s end-run around state laws designed to end the abuse of civil forfeiture should give anyone who owns Massachusetts property pause.
The Caswells have owned and operated the Motel Caswell in Tewksbury for more than 30 years. They took it over from Russ’s father, who built it in the 1950s. The motel is mortgage-free and the Caswells expected it to provide for their retirement. And it is precisely because they don’t owe on the property that they now face the loss of their life’s work.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and Tewksbury Police Department plan to take the entire property — worth well over $1 million — because on some 30 dates since 1994 guests staying at the motel have been arrested for drug-related crimes. During that period, the Caswells have rented more than 125,000 rooms.
The government doesn’t claim that the Caswells are guilty of any crime. The government only says that federal civil forfeiture laws give them the power to take the property.
Crime pays for police - BostonHerald.com (http://bostonherald.com/news/opinion/op_ed/view.bg?articleid=1372187 - broken link)
I generally support law enforcement, but these forfeiture laws are insane. I don't understand how it could be Constitutional for your personal property - whether it's your home, business or car - can be taken from you and sold to the highest bidder when you haven't been convicted of any crime. Impounded? Sure. Held until the conclusion of a trial? Yeah. Sold without you even being charged? WTF?!?!
I generally support law enforcement, but these forfeiture laws are insane. I don't understand how it could be Constitutional for your personal property - whether it's your home, business or car - can be taken from you and sold to the highest bidder when you haven't been convicted of any crime. Impounded? Sure. Held until the conclusion of a trial? Yeah. Sold without you even being charged? WTF?!?!
Part of the problem is they have an incentive to do this... LE gets the money.
I suspect there would be much less of this if the money went to feed hungry people in Somalia.
Makes me sick...someone has to pay for those expensive union benefits though, might as well be the hard working folks that create jobs and support the economy.
More BIG GOVERNMENT run amuck! Out of control authority to ruin innocent people's lives.
These are the situations that should have all citizens up in arms. Why do we tolerate this abuse of power?
Crime pays for police
By Larry Salzman
Monday, October 10, 2011 - Updated 2 days ago
Russell and Patricia Caswell are a hard-working couple who may soon have their American Dream taken from them by the unholy alliance of local and federal law enforcement officials seeking to cash in on the Caswell’s property.
The Caswells face this dilemma even though they have broken no law and have spent their entire professional career working to combat crime with the very police force that now seeks to take their property though civil forfeiture. What is happening to Russ and Pat, however, is by no means an isolated instance and local law enforcement’s end-run around state laws designed to end the abuse of civil forfeiture should give anyone who owns Massachusetts property pause.
The Caswells have owned and operated the Motel Caswell in Tewksbury for more than 30 years. They took it over from Russ’s father, who built it in the 1950s. The motel is mortgage-free and the Caswells expected it to provide for their retirement. And it is precisely because they don’t owe on the property that they now face the loss of their life’s work.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and Tewksbury Police Department plan to take the entire property — worth well over $1 million — because on some 30 dates since 1994 guests staying at the motel have been arrested for drug-related crimes. During that period, the Caswells have rented more than 125,000 rooms.
The government doesn’t claim that the Caswells are guilty of any crime. The government only says that federal civil forfeiture laws give them the power to take the property.
Crime pays for police - BostonHerald.com (http://bostonherald.com/news/opinion/op_ed/view.bg?articleid=1372187 - broken link)
I read up a bit on civil forfeiture. It says that this sort of thing happening was not the intent of the laws when they were passed. It was meant to stop trafficking or manufacturing illegal drugs in places that existed for that purpose. That's believable, but it doesn't really matter now. It's a perfect example of too many laws or too much government. And how government looks out for government, not people.
And the moral of the story is, don't call and report illegal drug activity on your property, even if you are innocent.
More BIG GOVERNMENT run amuck! Out of control authority to ruin innocent people's lives.
These are the situations that should have all citizens up in arms. Why do we tolerate this abuse of power?
Crime pays for police
By Larry Salzman
Monday, October 10, 2011 - Updated 2 days ago
Russell and Patricia Caswell are a hard-working couple who may soon have their American Dream taken from them by the unholy alliance of local and federal law enforcement officials seeking to cash in on the Caswell’s property.
The Caswells face this dilemma even though they have broken no law and have spent their entire professional career working to combat crime with the very police force that now seeks to take their property though civil forfeiture. What is happening to Russ and Pat, however, is by no means an isolated instance and local law enforcement’s end-run around state laws designed to end the abuse of civil forfeiture should give anyone who owns Massachusetts property pause.
The Caswells have owned and operated the Motel Caswell in Tewksbury for more than 30 years. They took it over from Russ’s father, who built it in the 1950s. The motel is mortgage-free and the Caswells expected it to provide for their retirement. And it is precisely because they don’t owe on the property that they now face the loss of their life’s work.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and Tewksbury Police Department plan to take the entire property — worth well over $1 million — because on some 30 dates since 1994 guests staying at the motel have been arrested for drug-related crimes. During that period, the Caswells have rented more than 125,000 rooms.
The government doesn’t claim that the Caswells are guilty of any crime. The government only says that federal civil forfeiture laws give them the power to take the property.
Crime pays for police - BostonHerald.com (http://bostonherald.com/news/opinion/op_ed/view.bg?articleid=1372187 - broken link)
The interesting thing here is if their was a lean on the property by a bank to secure a loan then the Feds could not take it. So basically the banks have more rights than an owner of the property.
Either way it is simply wrong.
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