Equitable Stealing?
by Paul Jacob, Contributing Author: Is freedom a simple matter of drafting a lofty document about respecting the rights of citizens?
Alas, no.
Our Constitution does that, as does Turkey's and, for that matter, so did the now-defunct Soviet Constitution. Obviously, vigilance is also required. Keeping powerful government agencies respectful of the law -- our liberties -- and, when not, fully accountable for transgressions, is crucial.
That necessary vigilance is lacking here in America, today.
Your local police -- the guys and gals who might respond if, heaven forbid, your home were broken into, or come upon your spouse broken down on a dark, rainy highway -- are being encouraged to take people's stuff . . . for "profit."
It's called civil asset forfeiture. This "legal" ability to stop people and snatch their money (or car or what-have-you) without ever charging anyone with a crime forces victims to hire a lawyer to sue the government to prove their stuff is innocent.
Last Friday, I heralded a new Institute for Justice report on the growth of this dangerous practice of official police thievery. At Townhall on Sunday, I pointed out that even when reforms are enacted at the state and local level, federal law enforcement still facilitates civil forfeiture. The Feds encourage locals to continue taking stuff through a federal program known as "equitable stealing."
No, my bad, it's actually called "equitable sharing."
But it's the same thing, just with the Feds and locals splitting the loot.
We need new laws at the federal, state and local level that abolish forfeiture without a criminal conviction. If our "leaders" won't act, we can petition at the local level to end this pernicious policy, forbidding any involvement with the Feds.
This is Common Sense. I'm Paul Jacob.
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Paul Jacobs is author of Common Sense which provides daily commentary about the issues impacting America and about the citizens who are doing something about them. He is also President of the Liberty Initiative Fund (LIFe) as well as Citizens in Charge Foundation. Jacobs is a contributing author on the ARRA News Service.
Tags: Paul Jacob, Common Sense, local police, asset forfeiture, abolish forfeiture wiithout conviction, To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
Alas, no.
Our Constitution does that, as does Turkey's and, for that matter, so did the now-defunct Soviet Constitution. Obviously, vigilance is also required. Keeping powerful government agencies respectful of the law -- our liberties -- and, when not, fully accountable for transgressions, is crucial.
That necessary vigilance is lacking here in America, today.
Your local police -- the guys and gals who might respond if, heaven forbid, your home were broken into, or come upon your spouse broken down on a dark, rainy highway -- are being encouraged to take people's stuff . . . for "profit."
It's called civil asset forfeiture. This "legal" ability to stop people and snatch their money (or car or what-have-you) without ever charging anyone with a crime forces victims to hire a lawyer to sue the government to prove their stuff is innocent.
Last Friday, I heralded a new Institute for Justice report on the growth of this dangerous practice of official police thievery. At Townhall on Sunday, I pointed out that even when reforms are enacted at the state and local level, federal law enforcement still facilitates civil forfeiture. The Feds encourage locals to continue taking stuff through a federal program known as "equitable stealing."
No, my bad, it's actually called "equitable sharing."
But it's the same thing, just with the Feds and locals splitting the loot.
We need new laws at the federal, state and local level that abolish forfeiture without a criminal conviction. If our "leaders" won't act, we can petition at the local level to end this pernicious policy, forbidding any involvement with the Feds.
This is Common Sense. I'm Paul Jacob.
------------------
Paul Jacobs is author of Common Sense which provides daily commentary about the issues impacting America and about the citizens who are doing something about them. He is also President of the Liberty Initiative Fund (LIFe) as well as Citizens in Charge Foundation. Jacobs is a contributing author on the ARRA News Service.
Tags: Paul Jacob, Common Sense, local police, asset forfeiture, abolish forfeiture wiithout conviction, To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
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