Modern Roadrobbery
 

Found this at another forum, it's a pretty long article and I've not yet finished reading, but WTF?

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2..._fact_stillman

In most cases cited there is criminal activity of some sort. The old antiquated law seems to be abused to some degree. There has been a few old TV programs that dealt with wayward police taking cash for speeding tickets. If not paid the speeder spends a night in jail or loses his car. These old programs on TV have been around since the inception of TV. The law of civil seizure longer than TV.

I can get my head around the purpose of civil seizure, but the law pertaining to this needs some serious reform, if it can be abused in such a way, that it's "give us all the money you have on you, or we're gonna charge you with something".

That is how it was working in the sleepy town of TX cited several times. It turned into a free for all. Sadly, police mooching and corruption has gone on for decades. When backed by a fuzzy law called civil seizure it is hard to prove otherwise.

Barry Washington is a real piece of work. He honestly believes everything he had done was correct. Good Lord! Washington speculated on every stop! The car was red. Drug dealers are known to drive red cars. :doh:

Very interesting read. Thanks for posting!

It also doesn't help to have any thing in your bank account(s) when walking into the IRS(MT beforehand) as they can freeze and/or attach your assets under an assumed name! This all essentially violates the bill of attainder portion of the constitution. ( No cap. 'C' for that piece o' Schiessen!) When having a car taken, kick out the windshield with your feet while exiting, remove gas cap and toss keys to sewer if possible: they can't get mad as its not officially in their possession at that point and they can't sell it until repairs are made-especially with todays' coded keys. A bag (packets) of sugar for gas pipe doesn't hurt either. Their convenience is not your problem. Been there, done this! Do not however, throw a flare in the trunk as that is felony arson and a serious offense. Most are not aware that the request to search can be denied without probable cause( they rely on fear and ignorance) and a second agency or a watch commander may be summoned-too many witnesses. A Bay area city towing regime used to play these games right up to the corrupt hearing officers. I let em' keep the Tercel (200+Kmiles) after recovering my possessions. (They don't like that) and the practice was eventually halted and the tow contractor removed. I've paid illicit fines at scale houses, Chicago, Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee, Ohio, Montana and New Mexico port of entry, where my 18 wheeler doubles rig fell victim to a stretchy tape measure. The judge barely spoke English,("Ole") I paid my $50.00 (yup, back in the day) and drove my rig one trailer at a time 20 miles each way to Albuquerque. My 6" length problem was miraculously cured when I returned to CA! My fifth wheel and my connector gear were not adjustable (and CA is brutal too.) Upside: you learn the facts of life-"that which is not feeding is being fed upon!". Never had problems in the graft capital of AmeriKa though, THE BIG APPLE (NYC), I'm a Brooklyn boy and they love fresh strawberries-do not impede!

Never fool with the IRS. Period. :yep: They conduct a seizure of a different nature.

Same in the UK with HMRC...almost unlimited powers.

You think that's bad? Look up the U.S. Eminent Domain law.:o

Another obscure fuzzy law open to any interpretation. :yep:

No officer, I do NOT consent to searches of my person or my property without a warrant. An officer saying that he smells weed, is not probable cause, nor is my destination and point of origin. The police state is rife with abuse these days, on a par with the corrupt Mexican law dogs. Being robbed under threat of jail isn't much different than being robbed at gunpoint. The officer has a gun and should be charged with armed robbery.
To protect and to serve? Seems to be a joke in Tenaha Texas. More like serve themselves. The USAG should be sending some federal marshals down there to catch these jokers in the act. If it were me, I'd be filing a complaint. Technically, this isn't much different from a speed trap where they haul you in to face a corrupt local judge within minutes of arresting you for going 5 MPH over the limit.
I think I'll just stay home from now on.:-?

It is if the officer proves to the satisfaction of the court that he can recognize the odor of Marijuana. In NJ police academies, they actually burn real marijuana during training for this very purpose. Don't know about other states, but I would think the same.

Good point; falls under " what is apparent to your senses" As I lived in a college dorm in the 60/70's ( MN green-essentially hemp) and occasionally actually guard a "medical sinsemilla" facility (at least until the Feds close it down) here in enlightened, sunny CA, my olfactory judgement is seldom contested by defense council. Like Wyatt Earp, the best work both sides of the issue for that encompassing perspective. Nothing you learn is completely useless over time...:arrgh!:

The Bobbies are'nt too cordial either and they don't ride two by two...:arrgh!:

Gee officer, if you smell weed, maybe you shouldn't smoke it while on duty.:-?:haha:

IIRC, the Texas officer used the same shtick in that roadside strip search not long ago. Not only are the bad cops flim flamming folks, they're sexually molesting them too and using bogus probable cause to do it.

America turning into a police state?
I think we're there already.