Michigan Sheriff Turning Confiscated Cars into Police Vehicles

[cjforumadmin]

http://www.bangshift.com/blog/Michigan-Sheriff-Turning-Confiscated-Cars-into-Police-Vehicles.html

[BOOOGHAR]

Re: Michigan Sheriff Turning Confiscated Cars into Police Vehicles

the county I live in, galveston county south of houston has been doing this practice for years, my parents neighbor was a sheriff for the county and in the mid 90s I remember him driving a stang gt, a C4 vette, a F150 xcab and also a expedition and were all done up in the county colors and were used on a daily basis pulling people over

[yogreasygramma]

Re: Michigan Sheriff Turning Confiscated Cars into Police Vehicles

Seizure of property without a trial is about as un-American as you can get; it goes against all common law and 800 years of jurisprudence. Property cannot commit a crime and thus can't be arrested or seized. It's nothing more than common theft by the Man. In addition to all that, there's a hideous incentive for police to start targeting more and more people and coming up with any excuse to seize their property. Is this the America you want to live in? Not me; I prefer to live by the Constitution, not in a cleptocracy.

You asked.

[tcbnj]

Re: Michigan Sheriff Turning Confiscated Cars into Police Vehicles

I'm sympathic to "yogreasygramma"s views on this. A formal program to the "seizure of property" by the state has the smell of "not good". IMHO this is the type of stuff that is driving the 'tea party" movement

[Whelk]

Re: Michigan Sheriff Turning Confiscated Cars into Police Vehicles

Seizing stuff from convicted drug dealers is one thing, but there's a mass movement for governments to sieze property on suspicion, and then never give it back even though no one has been convicted of anything.

Worth a read on the subject:

http://reason.com/archives/2010/01/26/the-forfeiture-racket

[Blazerteam]

Re: Michigan Sheriff Turning Confiscated Cars into Police Vehicles

The cars-trucks are paid by drug addicts,who in many times..have been stealing and done small criminal activities to get the money to spend on drugs.

I think its wrong to say that the drug dealer have paid for it.

[Super Sport]

Re: Michigan Sheriff Turning Confiscated Cars into Police Vehicles

I am going to offer up a third to yogreasygramma's motion on seizing property here.

It took 13 years as a cop to make me a serious libertarian and to get a deep, fundamental grasp on the idea that our property rights are a cornerstone of everything we have in this country. From the Supreme Court's recent ruling on Eminent Domain as a cash cow for local governments, to things like the story posted on Bang Shift within the last couple of days about the man whose car collection will be liquidated at auction BEFORE he is even convicted of a single thing simply because the Government is incurring costs to store the asset, our property rights are under assault, and it's a underreported story that travels largely under the radar. What will they do if that fellow is acquitted? Apologize? Buy his cars back for him? I somehow doubt it.

I dislike people that sell drugs to kids as much as the next person, but any government must resist the temptation to become greedy and lazy in their dealings with asset forfeiture. The proper way to punish people for their crimes is to jail and/or fine them. In fact, our Constitution makes no provision for property seizure. Our courts invented it. You want to take their mustang or their truck from them? Ok. Hit them with a fine large enough to make THEM sell it. Because it belongs to THEM.

Sorry for the rant. Serious pet peeve. Besides, there's probably still a roach under the cupholder or something.

[Thumpin455]

Re: Michigan Sheriff Turning Confiscated Cars into Police Vehicles

Make me 4th. Police being allowed and encouraged to seize property, be it vehicles, firearms, or real estate for whatever reason without a conviction should be criminal. Taking your car or whatever because you are suspected of a crime, and then not giving it back in the same condition upon your acquittal doesn't seem to be Constitutional. However, I can see the police utilizing vehicles if there has been a conviction.

With a policy of grab everything just in case with no intention of returning it if the charge is dropped or the defendant is found guilty what is to prevent the police from manufacturing evidence just to get something? There are articles about police corruption all over the media, from brutality and unnecessary tasings, to seizure of cash or other property because the defendant couldn't prove it wasn't drug related. A couple years ago a man driving down I80 in Nebraska was stopped with $20k in his vehicle. The State Police seized it because the man could not prove it wasn't drug money. When did it become HIS burden of proof that it wasn't drug related, and when did the Police not have to prove it wasn't to buy a produce truck as the man stated? Last time I was taught about our Constitution in the mid 80s the burden of proof was on the state and we are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

If they can do it to him legally, they can do it to any of us. Pull us over and take our car just because they think we might have bought it with illicit funds, or because we happened to be driving through a "known drug area" and so we are assumed to be guilty. The same thing can happen with anti racing laws. They want to seize cars because they have been modified even if they have not been racing. That is akin to them proving intent because of the equipment you posses, and if simply having the tools equates to guilty, then every male is guilty of rape as we all have the tools for the job.

Selling your property when you are innocent is pure and simple theft, it does not matter if the state/county/city/parish is the one doing the stealing. People allow it because of the war on drugs, and I wont get into that huge rat hole down which we throw money.

[miketblsr]

Re: Michigan Sheriff Turning Confiscated Cars into Police Vehicles

Ha mustangs are childs play. Check out what we have in wake county (raleigh nc).

http://rtp-corvettes.com/?p=325

[Matt Cramer]

Re: Michigan Sheriff Turning Confiscated Cars into Police Vehicles

I have no problem with seizing property after a fair trial and putting it to police use. But one thing I don't like about the cops having something like a new Mustang with "seized from a drug dealer" written on it - in some ways, it seems to send a message that drug dealers have a bunch of nice cars and a lot of money. I'd like to see some sort of police event where they show up with a bunch of rusted out junkers with "seized from a drug dealer" stenciled on them instead.

[Barry Donovan]

Re: Michigan Sheriff Turning Confiscated Cars into Police Vehicles

of course keep them.

drugs are a false reality of success. The real winner is gonna hunt you down with the drug dealers real product of deception.

my state doesn't do the keeping, that I have seen.
A nice vehicle, small town, owner could be spotted as abnormal a mile away in a nice machine.
Gangstas are funny.

[IRONHEAD]

Re: Michigan Sheriff Turning Confiscated Cars into Police Vehicles

I don't like the idea..
and how the hell can they even take the car.. like the 2007 mustang..
it be one thing if it was paid for..
but ,last time I checked you don't own it untill it's payed off. the BANK does..
can see ,why , towns/cities would use them.. as they are free..but, it also opens up a big can of worms..
I mean tickets are a money maker for towns. and the only reason ,they are written .
whats to say,, Ok boys we need a new fleet, these are a little long in the tooth..
see what you can find,, with a wink..

[RyanWalker]

Re: Michigan Sheriff Turning Confiscated Cars into Police Vehicles

Seizure of property without a trial is about as un-American as you can get; it goes against all common law and 800 years of jurisprudence. Property cannot commit a crime and thus can't be arrested or seized. It's nothing more than common theft by the Man. In addition to all that, there's a hideous incentive for police to start targeting more and more people and coming up with any excuse to seize their property. Is this the America you want to live in? Not me; I prefer to live by the Constitution, not in a cleptocracy.

You asked.

X1000...

[IRONHEAD]

Re: Michigan Sheriff Turning Confiscated Cars into Police Vehicles

Seizure of property without a trial is about as un-American as you can get; it goes against all common law and 800 years of jurisprudence. Property cannot commit a crime and thus can't be arrested or seized. It's nothing more than common theft by the Man. In addition to all that, there's a hideous incentive for police to start targeting more and more people and coming up with any excuse to seize their property. Is this the America you want to live in? Not me; I prefer to live by the Constitution, not in a cleptocracy.

You asked.

X1000...

America , is the land of the free, by name only..

[SuperBuickGuy]

Re: Michigan Sheriff Turning Confiscated Cars into Police Vehicles

Another hit on lady justice... I cannot stand seizure laws. I think it tarnishes what the American Court system is supposed to stand for - that you will be treated fairly in court... in this case, you're guilty until proven innocent.

Again, the case where they sold the cars first..... is not the same as seizing drug cars - you can seize assets prior to trial to satisfy a known obligation - the gov wasn't getting the receipts, the bilked investors, who had already sued the defendant, were getting the money.