If you were worried cops might lose their “right” to rob you, I’ve got good news. Governor Matt Mead, defending law enforcement’s right—his word, not mine—to civil forfeiture, vetoed a bill that would have reformed the twisted practice of stealing cash and other property from innocent people.
All the bill did was require a felony conviction before law enforcement could jack your stuff. It was designed to protect innocent people. It would not have protected criminals convicted in a court of law.
Civil asset forfeiture is a kind of legalized robbery whereby cops can seize your cash, your car, your house or anything else they believe to be involved with a crime. They can take this money and use it to purchase equipment for their department, as law enforcement nationwide did with $2.5 billion seized through civil asset forfeiture in 2010.
It would be one thing if all of this money were coming from criminals, but according to the Washington Post, in 85 percent of civil forfeiture cases, the property owner is never charged with a crime.
So how do big government enthusiasts like Matt Mead justify these Fourth Amendment violations? The same way politicians usually trample on our rights: the War on (some) Drugs.
Refusing to accept that the War on (some) Drugs was foolishly conceived and has spectacularly failed, law enforcement keeps stretching to ridiculous lengths in a fruitless effort to stem the flow of societally unacceptable substances.
At a traffic stop, police can ask how much cash you have in the car and if the amount is large enough or the department needs a new frozen margarita machine, they can seize it, because you were probably on your way to buy drugs.
If they find some weed and a digital scale on your roommate’s dresser, they could seize the house because you were probably moving large amounts of marijuana and God knows what else, you dirty hippie deadbeat.
Civil forfeiture is a system with plenty of Grey area that’s just begging to be abused Anastasia Steele-style.
I’m not saying all cops would rob you blind given the chance. Your average cop probably wouldn’t. There are lots of good policemen and women out there who honestly think they can keep drugs out of Wyoming (they can’t) and that Wyoming will be safer without Colorado weed crossing the border (it won’t), but all it takes is one cop with a slight mean streak to ruin your life.
So let’s not tempt that one bad cop by giving him the “right” to seize your assets before you’ve had your day in court.
