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New Mark Cole bill would ban "Policing for Profit" Seizures

Repeater

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2007
Messages
2,498
Location
Richmond, Virginia, USA
Bart Hinkle seems to like it:

Side effects may include seizures
It probably seemed like a bright idea at the time: Let the police seize the ill-gotten gains of alleged drug dealers and other suspected criminals and sell it, using the proceeds to buy much-needed crime-fighting gear.

Unfortunately, the process — civil asset forfeiture — did not require convicting anybody of a crime. In fact, it didn’t even require charging anybody with a crime. Not surprisingly, this led to rampant abuse, which has been abundantly documented for many years.

...

But Virginia lawmaker Mark Cole is going to give it another shot. That’s as good a sign as any that civil asset forfeiture has jumped the shark.

You can’t get much more conservative than Cole, a Republican who represents Spotsylvania in the General Assembly, without falling off the edge of the political spectrum.

...

On his website, Cole boasts of supporting law enforcement. “Public safety and emergency services are Mark Cole’s top priorities,” reads a quote from Stafford County Sheriff Charlie Jett. “He helped ensure that funding was available for pay raises for deputies and state troopers. He has been a strong voice for us in Richmond.”

But policing for profit has gone too far, even for Cole. In anticipation of the 2015 legislative session, he already has filed a bill (HB 1287) that would forbid asset forfeiture without a conviction — and even then only after all appeals have been exhausted.

...

Taking property from people who haven’t been charged with any crime is “fundamentally un-American,” Cole told the online news organ Watchdog.org.

...

Cole says he has heard from some commonwealth’s attorneys who think his bill would make their job harder.

The bill's language looks pretty good for a first step, but I think it needs work.

For one thing, I would like to see a mandate that if law enforcement damages, destroys, or loses illegally seized personal property, they shall be liable for damages.

And I have to be concerned when gun-hating Sheriff Jett is involved. No doubt his interests are incompatible with ours on this topic.
 

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
Civil forfeiture has become a sacred cash cow in some areas - a legal license to steal.

The misuse use must stop!
 

F350

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2012
Messages
941
Location
The High Plains of Wyoming
Bart Hinkle seems to like it:

Side effects may include seizures


The bill's language looks pretty good for a first step, but I think it needs work.

For one thing, I would like to see a mandate that if law enforcement damages, destroys, or loses illegally seized personal property, they shall be liable for triple damages.

And I have to be concerned when gun-hating Sheriff Jett is involved. No doubt his interests are incompatible with ours on this topic.

One little change
 

peter nap

Accomplished Advocate
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
13,551
Location
Valhalla
...........
jon-stewart-popcorn11.gif
 

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
Has NOT ONE EFFING THING to do with RKBA.

Although I's like to be entertained by reading how you managed to imagine it had even a tenuous connection.

stay safe.
Had your gun and vehicle been seized, then converted (sold) to the benefit of a certain county, you might just feel a weeee bit differently, me thinks.
 

skidmark

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
10,444
Location
Valhalla
Had your gun and vehicle been seized, then converted (sold) to the benefit of a certain county, you might just feel a weeee bit differently, me thinks.

Seriously doubt it. If anything, it's the Takings Clause of the 5th Amendment. (Just because a gun is involved does not automatically make it RKBA-related.)

stay safe.
 

davidmcbeth

Banned
Joined
Jan 14, 2012
Messages
16,167
Location
earth's crust
Has NOT ONE EFFING THING to do with RKBA.
.

Wrong.

You need reprogramming dude...you just let people steal from you?

"Yes, sir..I'm gonna need to keep this $25,000 I found on you, its a mere mathematical possibility its from drug transactions."

"Hey, don't get mad about it, you can petition the court for.."

"OK, here's your damn money back..jeesh, some people"
 
Last edited:

skidmark

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
10,444
Location
Valhalla
Wrong.

You need reprogramming dude...you just let people steal from you?

"Yes, sir..I'm gonna need to keep this $25,000 I found on you, its a mere mathematical possibility its from drug transactions."

"Hey, don't get mad about it, you can petition the court for.."

"OK, here's your damn money back..jeesh, some people"

Never said a thing about government stealing being OK (or not OK). Just said government stealing has nothing to do with RKBA - even when they steal your guns.

stay safe.
 

The Truth

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2014
Messages
1,972
Location
Henrico
Never said a thing about government stealing being OK (or not OK). Just said government stealing has nothing to do with RKBA - even when they steal your guns.

stay safe.

...but you are implicitly saying that use of a firearm against the government trying to steal from you is not even a thought process. It is in that regard I believe Mister Beth is making a connection.

I am 100% against asset forfeiture in any form. That's the job of the IRS. We don't need a local police entity doing it too, completely arbitrarily.
 

davidmcbeth

Banned
Joined
Jan 14, 2012
Messages
16,167
Location
earth's crust
Never said a thing about government stealing being OK (or not OK). Just said government stealing has nothing to do with RKBA - even when they steal your guns.

stay safe.

I protect me and my property myself. Just because someone is a gov't official does not mean that none are criminals.
 

OC for ME

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
12,452
Location
White Oak Plantation
And just because someone is a government official does not mean they are a [strike]criminal[/strike]corrupt.

Just like not all cops are stupid or [strike]corrupt[/strike]criminal. Yes, some are, but not most.
Thwn again criminal and corrupt, where government employees are concerned are one in the same as far as terms go...check your state statutes.

Anyway, what's not to like about placing a heavy burden on the state to recognize and respect liberty. Some present company excluded.
 

skidmark

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
10,444
Location
Valhalla
Oh [expletive deleted]!

Seems all opf you have a hammer in your hand and see everything as a nail, and cannot accept the possibility that things other than nails might exist.

If I were into hair pulling I would be bald. If I were into banging my head on a brick wall I'd have a ginormous callus on my forhead. Instead I wonder when all you Keyboard Kommandos will appear on the 6 O'Clock News while the talking heads tell me about some mentally impaired gunman who was shot down. Till that happens, or the news is full of reports of some crazed gunman who shot up X place and killed/wounded Y/Z number of people is hiding in the Three Acre Woods and every cop from three surrounding states has jined the search, I am just going to remind myself that you are all silly little children making big talk to scare away the boogeyman.

stay safe.
 

scouser

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2011
Messages
1,341
Location
804, VA
I protect me and my property myself. Just because someone is a gov't official does not mean that none are criminals.

Oh [expletive deleted]!

Seems all opf you have a hammer in your hand and see everything as a nail, and cannot accept the possibility that things other than nails might exist.

If I were into hair pulling I would be bald. If I were into banging my head on a brick wall I'd have a ginormous callus on my forhead. Instead I wonder when all you Keyboard Kommandos will appear on the 6 O'Clock News while the talking heads tell me about some mentally impaired gunman who was shot down. Till that happens, or the news is full of reports of some crazed gunman who shot up X place and killed/wounded Y/Z number of people is hiding in the Three Acre Woods and every cop from three surrounding states has jined the search, I am just going to remind myself that you are all silly little children making big talk to scare away the boogeyman.

stay safe.

suddenly it's all becoming clearer. McBeth is actually the guy the PA State Cops are looking for ..????
 
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