U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions threatens to make himself one of the biggest threats to your liberty.*
President Donald Trump’s pick for Attorney General just promised to encourage police departments to seize the personal property (cars, houses, cash) of criminal suspects.
The practice is called asset forfeiture. It comes in two forms, criminal and civil. Compelling objections have been raised against civil forfeiture, which accounts for nearly 90 percent of all forfeitures. Abuse is rampant in cities, counties and states around the country, routinely used against people who have not even been charged, much less prosecuted and convicted. (Often not really even suspected of criminality.)
“No criminal should be allowed to keep the proceeds of their crime,” he told conference attendees in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Monday.** But how can our top federal law enforcement officer ignore the profound difference between a suspect and a criminal?
No one is a criminal, before the law, until proved in court. Taking away property to make it harder for suspects to defend themselves — which is what RICO laws and other Drug War reforms intended to do — is obviously contrary to the letter of the Fourth and Fifth Amendments as well as the spirit of the U.S. Constitution.
Sessions announced he’ll soon offer a “new directive on asset forfeiture — especially for drug traffickers.” Unless he clearly indicates that it will only be used against the property of persons legally convicted of crimes, Sessions will be merely making charges of an “American Police State” stick.
America’s top lawman argues completely contrary to American principles of justice.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
* Bigger than Eric Holder was. Bigger than Loretta Lynch.
** Sessions also went on to say that “sharing with our partners” — local police departments around the nation — is a good thing. This is, systemically, the most dangerous aspect of it all, for it encourages police departments to take things for their own benefit.
7 replies on “The Police State Is in Sessions”
When the police can confiscate property, commonly for their departments benefit, at will and regardless of prosecution or conviction, you have most certianly have a police state.
Next will be the confiscation of politically incorrect writers tools and the facilities in which the reside or have been used.
Huh?
What did you write about the fact that one of Obama’a A.G.’s sold weapons, purchased with Stimulus money to criminal drug cartels in Mexico, which were used in the murders of thousands?
When official “Justice” enables criminals with guns to rob innocents and pocket the money, then genuine justice of necessity must come by other means.
The southern states fought a war against the over burdening power of the federal government.
Has the time come for a repeat?
When formerly local police departments are funded and directed from Washington, they are no longer responsible to the communities they (once) serve(d). They are responsible to the National State.
In other words, it turns them into the Gestapo.
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