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U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the Justice Department will issue new directives to increase the federal govenment's use of civil asset forfeiture, a controversial practice that allows law enforcement to seize property from suspected criminals without charging them with a crime.Speaking at a National District Attorneys Association conference in Minneapolis Monday, Sessions said state and local law enforcement could expect changes from U.S. Attorneys in several areas: increased prosecution of gun crimes, immigration offenses, gang activity, and prescription drug abuse, as well as increased asset seizure by the federal government."[W]e hope to issue this week a new directive on asset forfeiture—especially for drug traffickers," Sessions said. "With care and professionalism, we plan to develop policies to increase forfeitures. No criminal should be allowed to keep the proceeds of their crime. Adoptive forfeitures are appropriate as is sharing with our partners" . . .. . . Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), a consistent Republican advocate for reforming asset forfeiture laws, said in a statement to Reason Monday: "As Justice Thomas has previously said, there are serious constitutional concerns regarding modern civil asset forfeiture practices. The Department has an obligation to consider due process constraints in crafting its civil asset forfeiture policies."Lee was referring to conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' notable dissent in an asset forfeiture case this June. Thomas wrote that forfeiture operations "frequently target the poor and other groups least able to defend their interests in forfeiture proceedings" . . .. . . Sessions' upcoming directive to increase asset forfeiture comes as little surprise. Sessions, a former prosecutor and U.S. senator, has been a stalwart defender of asset forfeiture throughout his career. He has already dismantled Obama-era directives on drug sentencing guidelines and ordered a review of all of the existing consent agreements between the Justice Department and police departments that were found to be violating residents' constitutional rights.Another Republican critic of asset forfeiture, Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, tweeted Monday that "This policy takes us backward. Congress must step up to protect the property of Americans from a government that keeps stealing from them."
And this was the core reason I could not support Sessions as AG.This is no minor thing.
It is big government as the nation's largest organised crime family, run amok violating the basic principles of our constitution.
No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
...nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law;
I can't tell if Session is the most corrupt or just the stupidest AG we have ever had.
Time for congress to get a set of balls . . .
I can't tell if Session is the most corrupt or just the stupidest AG we have ever had. His advancing of issues like this is appalling. Time for congress to get a set of balls and tell Sessions this phony bullshit seizing assets without due process ends now.
This is a hell of a lot more direct and dangerous than even failing to repeal ObamaCare.
So where does Trump stand on this since nobody seems to want to ask?
Thank God my state has been making civil asset forfeiture harder.
“No criminal should be allowed to keep the proceeds of their crime,” Sessions says of law that lets police take cash without charging anyone with a crime.
So now they'll simply get the Feds involved in some minor way so the Feds can seize assets and then "share" them with their "partners" in your local law enforcement.
Since he is wholeheartedly in favor of taking by condemnation for private use, he's almost certainly in favor of this as well.
No Conviction for a crime you don't get a dime. EFF you, Sessions and your thieves. 14th Amendment5th AmendmentJust up and deciding you're going to take sh*t is not "Due Process of Law". It's robbery under color of law.Just ripping people off might get someone shot.
That hasn't been true since Bush I. They take what they want, when they want and will punish you if you complain.