Unanimous win Against Excessive Civil Asset Forefeiture

Posted by $ Thoritsu 5 years, 10 months ago to Government
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Excellent win against law enforcement stealing from the public (criminals and not) for funding. Unanimous opinion!

My favorite is the line from Gorsuch:
“Here we are in 2018, still litigating incorporation of the Bill of Rights,” Justice Neil Gorsuch scoffed to Indiana Solicitor General Thomas Fisher. “Really? Come on, General.”
SOURCE URL: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/02/supreme-court-rules-against-civil-forfeitures-rbg-timbs.html


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  • Posted by freedomforall 5 years, 9 months ago
    Now the con-gress should add severe federal penalties against anyone (federal or state) who attempts to use asset forfeiture in any form at any level (awarded to those being looted, not awarded to the feds.) But they won't because theft by the state at any level is acceptable to the con-gress critters.
    Thanks for posting, Thor.+1)
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  • Posted by chad 5 years, 9 months ago
    While it is an interesting ruling it did not address the violation by enforcement authorities to steal on a whim, it merely limits it. That you can be detained for any excuse and then have your property seized and you have to prove it (the property) was not involved in a crime violates the constitution on many levels and is morally reprehensible. I would think any decent policeman would refuse to comply with these seizures, which tells me there aren't many if any decent policemen. I haven't heard of any refusing to participate in this scheme.
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  • Posted by dark_star 5 years, 9 months ago
    That sounds great but for this bit:
    " ...the fine must not be “grossly disproportional to the gravity of [the] offense.” Presumably, this same standard now applies to the states. But when is a forfeiture grossly disproportionate?"
    The SCOTUS doesn't say and has left that to the states. What's a state supreme court going to say about that after already upholding the Civil Asset Forfeiture to begin with?
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    • Posted by $ blarman 5 years, 9 months ago
      There's always going to be some level of judgement call on proportionality. I don't know how one would eliminate it. Your point is well taken, however.
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  • Posted by ycandrea 5 years, 9 months ago
    Yay! No more will you have to worry about having cash on you just to have it confiscated! It is about time something was done about this despotic practice!
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  • Posted by Lucky 5 years, 9 months ago
    Wednesday’s ruling in Timbs v. Indiana, authored by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, is sharp and concise
    So RBG is not finished yet.
    I suppose you could say that the injustice of those property confiscations is so obvious that even a deep lefty can see it.
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