AG Sessions Makes It Easier for Police to Seize Property Without Due Process

Attorney General Jeff Sessions just gave law enforcement across the country federal judiciary to seize up to $10,000 cash from private citizens if suspected of being involved in criminal activities.

The Justice Department announced a new federal policy Wednesday to help state and local police take cash and property from people suspected of a crime, even without a criminal charge.

Known as “adoptive forfeiture,” the program — which gives police departments greater leeway to seize property of those suspected of a crime, even if they’re never charged with or convicted of one — was a significant source of revenue for local law enforcement.

Civil asset forfeiture is a diabolical practice that works to both pad the pockets of law enforcement, promote a police state, and intimidate citizens. One of the fundamental pillars of our government and constitution is that citizens are innocent until proven guilty.

This is not a measure that will give law enforcement the right to seize cash from convicted criminals. This will allow law enforcement to seize cash from anyone SUSPECTED of not following the government’s orders or engaging in criminal activities such as drug dealing.

13 states have passed laws requiring prosecutors to successfully pursue a criminal conviction before giving authorities the power to seize citizens assets. But now thanks to Sessions federal law now trumps state’s right.

Under federal guidelines, the state and local agencies making adoptive seizures are entitled to up to 80 percent of the proceeds, while federal agencies would receive at least a 20 percent cut. The median value of those seizures was about $9,000, not exactly indicative of major drug trafficking operations.

Some of the seizures were as low as a few hundred dollars, including $107 taken by Kanakee, Ill., authorities on March 12, 2014. That money was turned over to the DEA, which is entitled to keep $21.40 of it, with the remaining $85.60 to be returned to Kanakee police.

Let’s be real. The government can’t be trusted. Think back to just 2015 when the FBI under former director Comey raided a small gathering of Texas conservatives seizing all electronics and forcibly fingerprinting all members. 

What is AG Sessions alibi? Well according to the DOJ records only 20% of the cash seized by law enforcement ends up having to be returned to innocent citizens that are NOT actually criminals.

And just to be clear, no Sessions, not one damn patriot is comforted by the fact our tax dollars will be wasted on the DOJ paying our legal fees for suing our own government for stealing our hard earned cash.

Watch this for yourself!

Source: Washington Post