Live data from Hacker News

Using loophole, Seward County seizes millions from motorists without convictions

klkntv.com

1–10 of 156 posts

Re: Using loophole, Seward County seizes millions from motorists without convictions

#2
Haven’t we been hearing about the horrors of civil asset forfeiture for more than a decade? Why is this still happening? Is there any sizeable constituency for this? Does anyone think this is a good idea, other than the corrupt law enforcement officers who are benefiting?

Re: Using loophole, Seward County seizes millions from motorists without convictions

#4

Haven’t we been hearing about the horrors of civil asset forfeiture for more than a decade? Why is this still happening? Is there any sizeable constituency for this? Does anyone think this is a good idea, other than the corrupt law enforcement officers who are benefiting?

Because it's profitable.

Re: Using loophole, Seward County seizes millions from motorists without convictions

#5

Haven’t we been hearing about the horrors of civil asset forfeiture for more than a decade? Why is this still happening? Is there any sizeable constituency for this? Does anyone think this is a good idea, other than the corrupt law enforcement officers who are benefiting?

> Why is this still happening?

What would cause it to stop happening?

State control over the police in the US is imperfect, and, since the US is a fundamentally flawed democracy for deep structural reasons, popular control over the state is even more limited. Thus there are two separate reasons why this wouldn’t be stopped even if most people were against it (which is by no means clear anyway).

Re: Using loophole, Seward County seizes millions from motorists without convictions

#6

Haven’t we been hearing about the horrors of civil asset forfeiture for more than a decade? Why is this still happening? Is there any sizeable constituency for this? Does anyone think this is a good idea, other than the corrupt law enforcement officers who are benefiting?

Has there been any significant challenges to this system?

Re: Using loophole, Seward County seizes millions from motorists without convictions

#8

Haven’t we been hearing about the horrors of civil asset forfeiture for more than a decade? Why is this still happening? Is there any sizeable constituency for this? Does anyone think this is a good idea, other than the corrupt law enforcement officers who are benefiting?

It's still happening because people believe the police to be above the law. Look at how hard people go to bat for officers that murder someone and have it caught on video, how expansive qualified immunity is. When these kinds of issues go to court, it's very hard to get people to look beyond the idea that blue badge good which makes any court case a massive uphill battle.

It's not that the police are right, it's that if you get harassed by the police or pulled over etc that you clearly did something wrong, and people will contort themselves into a pretzel to make that logic true.

Re: Using loophole, Seward County seizes millions from motorists without convictions

#9

Haven’t we been hearing about the horrors of civil asset forfeiture for more than a decade? Why is this still happening? Is there any sizeable constituency for this? Does anyone think this is a good idea, other than the corrupt law enforcement officers who are benefiting?

The sizeable constituency has been isolated into tiny bubbles of self-absorption.
Post reply on HN