Did "Stealing From Americans" Just Stop? AG Holder Moves To End Civil Asset Forfeitur

[mick silver]

Since 2011, we have been warning of the rise of 'civil asset forfeiture' (here) (http://www.zerohedge.com/news/guest-post-us-government-asset-seizures-rise) with the 'stealing of American's hard-earned assets' having been on the rise signficantly (http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-07-28/asset-forfeiture-%E2%80%93-how-steal-americans-hard-earned-cash-zero-repercussions) in recent months; as the apparent final stage of empire begins (http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-12-28/civil-asset-forfeiture-final-stage-collapse-empire). However, in an odd apparent success for "safeguarding civil liberties," Reuters reports that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said today that State and local police in the United States will no longer be able to use federal laws to justify seizing property without evidence of a crime.

http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user3303/imageroot/2015/01/20150116_civil.jpg (http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user3303/imageroot/2015/01/20150116_civil.jpg)
As a reminder, Mike Krieger explains what civil asset forfeiture is... (http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-07-28/asset-forfeiture-%E2%80%93-how-steal-americans-hard-earned-cash-zero-repercussions)





In a nutshell, civil forfeiture is the practice of confiscating items from people, ranging from cash, cars, even homes based on no criminal conviction or charges, merely suspicion.

This practice first became widespread for use against pirates, as a way to take possession of contraband goods despite the fact that the ships’ owners in many cases were located thousands of miles away and couldn’t easily be prosecuted. As is often the case, what starts out reasonable becomes a gigantic organized crime ring of criminality, particularly in a society where the rule of law no longer exists for the “elite,” yet anything goes when it comes to pillaging the average citizen.

One of the major reasons these programs have become so abused is that the police departments themselves are able to keep much of the confiscated money. So they actually have a perverse incentive to steal. As might be expected, a program that is often touted as being effective against going after major drug kingpins, actually targets the poor and disenfranchised more than anything else.
While this epidemic of law enforcement theft is problematic throughout the country (see these egregious examples from Tennessee (http://libertyblitzkrieg.com/2012/05/22/the-war-on-cash/) and Michigan (http://libertyblitzkrieg.com/2013/10/07/how-the-irs-seized-35k-from-a-michigan-grocery-store-with-no-warning-or-explanation/)), it appears Texas has a particularly keen love affair with the practice. Not only did last year’s story take place in Texas, today’s highlighted episode also takes place in the Lone Star State. This time in a town of 150 people called Estelline, which earns more than 89% of its gross revenues from traffic fines and forfeitures. In other words, from theft.

And so, today's news appears positive...


(As Reuters reports),





State and local police in the United States will no longer be able to use federal laws to justify seizing property without evidence of a crime, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said on Friday.

The practice of local police taking property, including cash and cars, from people that they stop, and of handing it over to federal authorities, became common during the country's war on drugs in the 1980s.

Holder cited "safeguarding civil liberties" as a reason for the change in policy.

The order directs federal agencies who have collected property during such seizures to withdraw their participation, except if the items collected could endanger the public, as in the case of firearms.

Holder said the ban was the first step in a comprehensive review the Justice Department has launched of the program.
* * *
As WaPo adds, (http://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/holder-ends-seized-asset-sharing-process-that-split-billions-with-local-state-police/2015/01/16/0e7ca058-99d4-11e4-bcfb-059ec7a93ddc_story.html)





Holder’s decision allows some limited exceptions, including illegal firearms, ammunition, explosives and property associated with child pornography, a small fraction of the total. This would eliminate virtually all cash and vehicle seizures made by local and state police from the program.

A Justice official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss the attorney general’s motivation, said Holder “also believes that the new policy will eliminate any possibility that the adoption process might unintentionally incentivize unnecessary stops and seizures.”
* * *
While it may be a little early to call the total end of 'civil asset forfeitures', it appears to have just become more difficult for American police forces to steal their citizens' cash and assets.
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[EE_]

If I had written the article...

Did criminal cops "Stealing From Americans" Just Stop? AG Holder Moves To End the allowing of police to commit crimes of theft and extortion in order to protect criminal cops from the deadly repercussions of the enraged public.

Since 2011, we have been warning of the rise of criminal cops 'stealing of American's hard-earned assets'.
However, in an odd apparent success for "safeguarding civil liberties," from criminal cops, Reuters reports that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said today that criminal state and local police in the United States will no longer be able to use federal laws to justify their criminal behavior of seizing property without evidence of a crime.

In a nutshell, civil forfeiture is the practice of allowing police to commit crimes of confiscating items from people, ranging from cash, cars, even homes based on no criminal conviction or charges, merely suspicion.

This criminal practice first became widespread for use against pirates, as a way to take possession of contraband goods despite the fact that the ships’ owners in many cases were located thousands of miles away and couldn’t easily be prosecuted. As is often the case, what starts out reasonable becomes a gigantic organized crime ring of criminality, particularly in a society where the rule of law no longer exists for the “elite,” yet anything goes when it comes to pillaging the average citizen.

One of the major reasons these crimes by police have become so rampant, is that the criminal police departments themselves are able to keep much of the stolen/extorted money. So they actually have a criminal incentive to steal. As might be expected, a program that allows cops to become worse criminals then major drug kingpins. They target the poor and disenfranchised and the law protect cops from any repercussions do to their crimes.

While this epidemic of criminal law enforcement theft is rampant throughout the country, it appears Texas has a particularly keen love affair with abusing their power. Not only did last year’s story take place in Texas, today’s highlighted episode also takes place in the Lone Star State. This time in a town of 150 people called Estelline, which steals 89% of its gross revenues from traffic fines and forfeitures. In other words, from criminal theft.

State and local police in the United States will no longer be able to use the protection of federal laws to commit crimes, stealing property, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said on Friday.

The practice of local police stealing property, including cash and cars, from people that they stop, and of handing it over to criminal federal authorities, became common during the country's phony war on drugs in the 1980s.

Holder lied in stating "safeguarding civil liberties" as a reason for the change in policy, the real reason is to protect criminal cops from people that they have stolen from that are sick and tired of criminal cops and the revenge these people are acting out more and more by the killing of these criminals.

The order directs criminal federal agencies who have collected stolen property during police thefts to withdraw their participation in these crimes, except if the items stolen could endanger the public, as in the case of firearms...at least thats the excuse they are using to continue the war on guns in Americans hands.

Holder said the ban on police crime was the first step in a comprehensive review the criminal Justice Department has launched of the criminal program.

Holder’s decision allows some limited thefts, including legal firearms, ammunition, and property associated with child pornography (which he will keep for his elite friends and himself.) This would eliminate virtually all cash and vehicle thefts made by local and state criminal cops.

A Just-us official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss the attorney general’s motivation, said Holder “also believes that the new policy will hopefully save cops lives from the more and more enraged citizens that want to kill them during the unnecessary criminal stops and thefts.”

While it may be a little early to call the total end of criminal cops, because there are so many, it appears to have just become more difficult for American criminal police forces to commit crimes of stealing their citizens' cash and assets.

All other crimes by cops against Americans are still allowed, including brutalizing men women and children, wrongful home entries, harming people for petty crimes, steroid abuse and taking bribes of money and sex in exchange for leniency.