I’ve mentioned the asset forfeiture case of the Motel Caswell before, but here is some good additional coverage.
The issue is that the Motel Caswell, which Russ Caswell and his family have owned free and clear for two generations, is located in an area where there is some crime. A number of drug busts have taken place at the Motel, although this is an insignificant number compared to the number of stays overall. The police agree that Russ and his family are not involved in drug activity in any way and that Russ has tried to work with police, reporting drug activity to the police and evicting troublemakers. Yet the police and the Department of Justice are trying to seize the property, worth one million dollars.
Civil Forfeiture Abuse Case to be Argued Today before Federal Court in Boston from the Institute of Justice, includes a video about the Motel and the forfeiture abuse.
Congress already passed a law that forbids the DOJ from taking the Motel Caswell. The DOJ is ignoring it. at Forfeiture Reform. Good discussion by Scott Alexander Meiner about the Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 which addressed exactly this kind of forfeiture abuse.
“Congress already passed a law that forbids the DOJ from taking the Motel Caswell.”
Hell, I was under the impression that we’d already passed a constitution that forbid it.
Don’t be silly Francis; that old thing was written on druggie paper ;>)
Congress? Aren’t they irrelevant yet after Boosh set up the imperial executive.
Since when has the DOJ cared about the law? They won’t follow it, and they will only enforce it on the peons. I like that some people still think they are just enforcing the law, rather than trasnparently using it for political ends. Very quaint.