Jay Evensen
  • Front Page
  • Opinions
  • Second Thoughts
  • Portfolio
  • Awards
  • About

Think you have to be guilty before police take your stuff?

11/12/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
If you’re planning to speed, turn without signaling or commit some other minor offense, make sure you don’t have a lot of cash on hand.

As strange as that sentence may sound, the nation is brimming with stories of drivers who end up losing their money through routine traffic stops, even though they haven’t been convicted of a crime.

Take the example of George Reby, a New Jersey resident who got pulled over in Tennessee for 
speeding. He had about $20,000 in cash stuffed in a bag — money he said he needed because he was trying to buy a car on eBay. According to accounts from several news sources, Reby agreed to let the officer search his car, and he told the officer about the money.

The officer told News Channel 5 in Tennessee that he suspected the cash was drug money, and so he confiscated it even though he never arrested Reby, who, he said, couldn’t prove it wasn’t drug money.

As outrageous as this sounds, the officer acted within the law, and what he did could happen in virtually every state under civil asset forfeiture laws.

About 30 years ago, liberal asset forfeiture laws were passed as crime-fighting measures. The thinking was that this provided an extra, powerful tool against organized crime and the excessive underground profits from illegal drug sales.

But over time it has turned into a money-making tool for police departments and local governments.

Under criminal-asset forfeiture laws, property may be seized after a criminal conviction. But under civil asset forfeiture laws, no conviction is needed. In fact, police don’t even need a charge. And victims have to endure long and costly court proceedings in order to get their property back.

The Institute for Justice, a Libertarian public interest law firm, has just published a study on “The abuse of civil asset forfeiture” nationwide. It estimates the federal government took $4.5 billion in 2014 in confiscated property, up from $93.7 million in 1986.

It’s harder to calculate how much states are collecting because so few of them keep reliable records. Only 11 states make any information about these funds available online. In the other states, you need to request records that often are incomplete, following rules that often are complicated.

To complicate matters further, states participate in a federal program known as “equitable sharing.” States confiscate property under federal law, turn the assets over to Washington, then receive up to 80 percent of it back. This circumvents state laws aimed at putting tighter controls on these seizures.

The Institute for Justice said state and local agencies reaped $4.7 billion this way from 2000 to 2013.

Utah gets a D- in the report for its forfeiture laws, but it has good company. Thirty-five states scored a D+ or worse.

Utah, the report said, passed laws that require police actually tie the property they confiscate to a crime “by clear and convincing evidence.” However, this is not as strong as a court’s burden of doing so beyond a reasonable doubt. Also, Utah scores points for treating people as innocent until proven otherwise in court, rather than the other way around.

But the state allows local police to keep 100 percent of what they seize, which undercuts the other gains.

Utah collects an average of $1.7 million this way each year. The money goes into a restricted account for law-enforcement projects, the report said.

This is one of those few issues you could bring up at a dinner party and find conservatives and liberals getting along. The conservative Heritage Foundation’s website has a fact sheet on the practice that notes, “many of its targets are innocent members of the public.” The liberal ACLU’s website says the issue “has shaken our nation’s conscience.”

And Kevin Drum, writing for Mother Jones, says, “I have never understood why civil asset forfeiture doesn't inspire more outrage.”

It’s a good question.

As for George Reby, he eventually got his money back, but only because he could afford an attorney and another trip to Tennessee. That doesn’t sound much like justice the American way, does it?
​
While many criminals do deserve to lose their property, tighter rules would help protect the innocent.
 
 
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Search this site


    Like what you read here?

      Please subscribe below, and we'll let you know when there is a new opinion.

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Picture

    The author

    Jay Evensen is the Senior Editorial Columnist of the Deseret News. He has nearly 40 years experience as a reporter, editor and editorial writer in Oklahoma, New York City, Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. He also has been an adjunct journalism professor at Brigham Young and Weber State universities.

    Archives

    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012

    Categories

    All
    Campaign 2012
    Congress
    Crime
    Culture
    Iran
    Oil And Gas
    Poverty
    Steroids
    Taxes
    Utah
    Washington
    World Events
    World Events

    Links

    Deseret News
    Newslink
    Marianne Evensen's blog

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos from jamesjoel, DOWN ESPAÑA, garethjmsaunders, University of Salford, Adam Jones, Ph.D. - Global Photo Archive, marcoverch, See-ming Lee 李思明 SML, edgarzunigajr, Theo K, ActuaLitté, Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com, Backbone Campaign, OIST (Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology), bradleygee, @sage_solar, sianiweston, makelessnoise, COD Newsroom, philozopher, Congressman George Miller, Jordi Bernabeu, edgarzunigajr, National Assembly For Wales / Cynulliad Cymru, simpleinsomnia, Mike Bonitz, Becker1999, manhhai, BiblioArchives / LibraryArchives, amira_a, Ken Lund, Bread for the World, r.nial.bradshaw, DearEdward, sinisterbluebox, denebola2025, thedoc31, ** RCB **, IQRemix, sandiegoduiattorney, Rob.Bertholf, Seluryar, Ben Sutherland, O.S. Fisher, Tony Webster, www.rubenholthuijsen.nl, Zachi Evenor, jonnwilliams, Lion Multimedia Production U.S.A., penjelly, jillccarlson, ADAM TAS IMAGES, UNMEER, DonkeyHotey, USDAgov, The Prime Minister's Office, Maicon Garcia, CountyLemonade, familymwr, Muffet, DonkeyHotey, tedeytan, KristineL761, penjelly, Leap Kye, sully213, NLNY, frankieleon, haven't the slightest, ljlandre, jalbertbowdenii, Rvs1966, Marion Doss, Vassilis Online, Dan Bock, Prestonbot, Frontierofficial, L. Bartha, educators.co.uk, Kelly Hunter, lindsayloveshermac, Michael.Jolley, dw_ross, Janitors, KAZVorpal, combusean, wuestenigel, apardavila, BodyWorn, MDGovpics, MHS Touchdown Club, JeepersMedia, Elvert Barnes, fred_v, CountyLemonade, mitchell haindfield, qbac07, David Holt London, Hoshi_sae, DonkeyHotey, aaronrhawkins, Ruth and Dave, CountyLemonade, Akademija Oxford, NASA Goddard Photo and Video, Chimpanz APe, huskyte77, GotCredit, sandiegoduiattorney, pacificpelican, streetsensedc, ell brown, Aaron Volkening, rgserapio, Asian Development Bank, paularps, ThoseGuys119, USDAgov, SIM USA, gnrklk, kthypryn, Zeitfixierer, vwcampin, regan76, frankieleon, Robert Couse-Baker, JoeInSouthernCA, SounderBruce, ThoseGuys119, CDC Global Health, Gage Skidmore, bunnicula, Fire At Will [Photography], Alexandre Prévot, Anth0ny Gale, vastateparksstaff, raphael.chekroun, Gerry Dincher, halseike, Prayitno / Thank you for (12 millions +) view, Gage Skidmore, infomatique, omarsalvatierragracida, Jerk Alert Productions, DonkeyHotey, Österreichisches Außenministerium, Photocapy, USDAgov, Taymaz Valley, jencu, Peter Krantz, WayShare, Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com, gruntzooki, CountyLemonade, makelessnoise, Denise Cross Photography, Roadgeek Adam, Tony Webster, amy.gizienski, faungg's photo, makelessnoise, FolsomNatural, Loimere, free pictures of money, Exile on Ontario St, EvinDC, ell brown, kamirao, coachphatty, Keith Allison, Raido Kaldma, avrene, Shutterbug Fotos, Elvert Barnes, Andrew Feinberg, Tony Webster, danxoneil, GrandGeneralStormCommando, MShades, Joe Frazier Photo, Kurdishstruggle, Omranic, SounderBruce, Mike Morbeck, Got Credit, Scudamore's Punting Company, wuestenigel, r.nial.bradshaw, NIAID, torbakhopper, 81disasters, gaobo, John Haro, Metro Atlanta Transit Productions, foundin_a_attic, Sten Dueland, tedeytan, CarbonNYC [in SF!], Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com, marcn, pburka, BBurchell Photography, wbaiv, heyexit, Phillie Casablanca, Neil T, LendingMemo, Elsie esq., Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com, n4rwhals, WalterPro4755, railsr4me, JLaw45, Janitors, USDAgov, MarkDoliner, educators.co.uk, wuestenigel, Franco Folini, JeanneMenjoulet&Cie, WayShare, Gamma Man, ninara, Bob Linsdell, H.KoPP, Vegar S Hansen Photography, denebola2025, Aircaft @ Gloucestershire Airport By James, Talusss, LaBellaVida, wwarby, easysentri, evelynquek, Ken Lund, rdmsf, North Charleston, t--h--s, denisbin, stcyshn, Tim Evanson, KAZVorpal, jurvetson, Simon_sees, thisisbossi, Photographing Travis, Phil Roeder, rich701, BPPrice, Kadano, quinnums, MoneyBlogNewz, wickenden, Lost Albatross, Bernd Thaller, Dave Snowden, CountyLemonade, au_ears, annikaleigh, magerleagues, MICOLO J Thanx 4 725k+ views, DonkeyHotey, progre, frankieleon, quinn.anya, Ryan Hallock, jsnsndr, abominable_eagle, Alan Cleaver, aflcio, CDC Global Health, NASA Goddard Photo and Video, jellygator, Jason M Parrish, USDAgov, Mystery in the mail, CJS*64 "Man with a camera", BenDibble, Joybot, JoeInSouthernCA, Pawel Maryanov, kennethkonica, mitchell haindfield, USDAgov, stevebott, Tyler Merbler, NCDOTcommunications, Exile on Ontario St, CBP Photography, jboe2009, WWYD?, liveoncelivewild, vaxomatic, Hunky Punk, tedeytan, GotCredit, Find Your Feet, Fibonacci Blue, Nicholas_T, Sergey Galyonkin, shock264, Georgie Pauwels, EU Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection, adifferentbrian, Seluryar, Riik@mctr, Andrew Moura, Michael.Jolley, kellybdc, inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), JeepersMedia, TheTruthAbout, Anton V. Larionov, HloomHloom, surreynews, {Guerrilla Futures | Jason Tester}, Secretary of Defense, The All-Nite Images, FootMassagez, You're In My Light (jerrysEYES), BLMOregon, Achilli Family | Journeys, Gerry Dincher, Ken Lund, Triple-green, yourbestdigs, Richard Elzey, Prestonbot, automobileitalia, Fora do Eixo, mary_gaston22, bk2000, AutrementDit Toronto., Elvert Barnes, dualdflipflop, mikemacmarketing, Hoshi_sae, torbakhopper, eburniche3, Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com, Abeeeer, Rob.Bertholf, Don Hankins, dannielleblumenthal-thinkbrandfirst, USDAgov, wuestenigel, Michael.Jolley, xiquinhosilva, Images_of_Money, OregonDOT, lavocado@sbcglobal.net, gregfriese, SounderBruce, Kevin Johnston, Imagens Evangélicas, loop_oh, Magic Robot, funktionhouse, Gage Skidmore, Yosuke WATANABE, Mark Scott Johnson, F43r1x, ljlphotography, dsearls, David Holt London, ER24 EMS (Pty) Ltd., Images_of_Money, roberthuffstutter, monkeyz_uncle, zemistor, fred_v, DonkeyHotey, Obama-Biden Transition Project, CedarBendDrive, nestor galina, brianholsclaw, ryochiji, thisisbossi, Bright Meadow, richard winchell, Svadilfari, Edward M Johnson, NavaInstigator>>>, VarsityLife, ourbethlehem, Mr. T in DC, mwanasimba, Franco Folini, qnr, Dougtone, LightinkLibrarian, Obama-Biden Transition Project, The Official CTBTO Photostream, AstroSamantha, MoreSatisfyingPhotos.com, The Shopping Sherpa, The National Guard, craigdietrich, kamshots, ewan traveler, World Can't Wait, Gila Forest, kaffeeringe, jgurbisz, gruntzooki, Supermac1961, thievingjoker, Rod Waddington, PlayfulLibrarian, Philip Taylor PT, AlicePopkorn, Raido Kaldma, dan taylor, Cannabis Culture, surreynews, cliff1066™, Lars Plougmann, ANZ Cluster Munition Coalition, Tracy O, www.davidbaxendale.com, Rob Barrett Photography, BuzzFarmers, Political Graveyard, ojbyrne, US Mission Geneva, inkknife_2000, ubiquit23, Dan Bock, irrezolut, Frankie Roberto, Abode of Chaos, KOMUnews, John Pavelka, ElectronicFrontierFoundation, DonkeyHotey, carlos.a.martinez, pnoeric, ARTS, ubiquit23, Ken Lund, Tony Fischer Photography, brewbooks, || UggBoy♥UggGirl || PHOTO || WORLD || TRAVEL ||, blackplastic, cristee12, Shan213, OPEN Sports, Korean Resource Center 민족학교, cocoate.com, karola riegler photography, 4nitsirk, gnuckx, citizenactionny, rezsox, Jeffrey Beall, david_shane, Mrs. Gemstone, Erik Daniel Drost, stockicide, kadluba, joaquinuy, quinn.anya, ReneS, StockMonkeys.com, loop_oh, Steve Tolcher, Iqbal Osman1, kiwanja, rawmustard, Anthony J, El Bibliomata, International Information Program (IIP), Alex McClung, danielmoyle, "G" jewels g is for grandma, slgckgc, Images_of_Money, fivedollarones, x1klima, Gabriel GM, redjar, andertoons, gvgoebel, .Larry Page, Mr. T in DC, chintanamin, KatVitulano Photos, Ken Lund, adactio, shroncin, RobotSkirts, jeffschuler, VinothChandar, Joybot, neurollero, erasergirl, Matías Garabedian, viviandnguyen_, Digitale Gesellschaft, markhillary, mkphotonet, jgBeachcomber, jimbowen0306, Franco Folini, dno1967b, jurvetson, MargaretNapier, Elvert Barnes, muddum27, abcd8164@yahoo.cn, Frontierofficial, dsearls, Shamanic Shift, Andrew Feinberg, Prayitno/ more than 2 millions views: thank you!, playerx, FSonne-pennstate73, The Daring Librarian, Vicky Hugheston, thenestor, Dusan Simonovic, David Reber's Hammer Photography, Justin A. Wilcox, Hollywood_PR, AR McLin, BrownGuacamole, Gage Skidmore, zache, Medill DC, wheat_in_your_hair, patricialow, Matt McGee, Bill Stanley, jerekeys, cletch, 6SN7, killrbeez, شبكة برق | B.R.Q, colros, Eric Kilby, kenteegardin, Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com, Erik Daniel Drost, Edward Dalmulder, chris friese, simone.brunozzi, Daquella manera, stevebott, stevendepolo, DFID - UK Department for International Development, justinmatthew21, a.drian, cudmore, Extra Ketchup, wbaiv, Loren Javier, swanksalot, CountyLemonade, indigoprime, Bryn Pinzgauer, Paul Robertson, Gruenemann, r.nial.bradshaw, Sam Beebe, Ecotrust, Fibonacci Blue, .jocelyn., RESchroeder, MoneyBlogNewz, matze_ott, swskeptic, peterolthof, Charleston's TheDigitel, Tony Webster, Themeplus, sDanOoO, CountyLemonade, Our Dream Photography (Personal), anitakhart, Waiting For The Word, Matt-Zimmerman, Dougtone