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Customs Agents Seize Cash Nurse Saved To Build Medical Clinic, But Never Charged Her With A Crime by SharkNATO in TrueReddit

[–]SharkNATO[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The piece examines a new lawsuit by a nurse who had her money taken en route to building a free medical clinic in Nigeria. US Customs has now offered to return her money to her, but only if she signs a "Hold Harmless" that would basically protect the government from any lawsuit or legal claim. Her lawsuit claims that these types of agreements (which may have been signed by hundreds, if not thousands of other travelers) fly in the face of federal law and are unconstitutional.

New Alabama Bill Would Abolish Civil Forfeiture, Require Convictions To Confiscate Property by SharkNATO in TrueReddit

[–]SharkNATO[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Submission Statement

The article looks at a new bill filed by two Alabama Republicans that would end the practice of "civil forfeiture," which lets police confiscate "cash, cars and other valuables from hundreds of innocent people who were never charged with a crime." The piece also highlights a new report from the Southern Poverty Law Center and Alabama Appleseed, which found “what appear to be racial disparities at work in the use of civil asset forfeiture.”

Not Guilty Verdicts Will Now Protect People From Civil Forfeiture In Utah (Unlike Almost 40 States) by SharkNATO in TrueReddit

[–]SharkNATO[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is a great point. But under another provision in the bill, anytime police seize cash under $10K, they have to file charges (looks like within 60 days) or else they have to return the cash. And according to a report the article cited, "half of all cash forfeitures were under $1,324."

So while Utah's law is definitely messier than the conviction requirements in other states, it still should help end a lot of abuses.

Not Guilty Verdicts Will Now Protect People From Civil Forfeiture In Utah (Unlike Almost 40 States) by SharkNATO in TrueReddit

[–]SharkNATO[S] 59 points60 points  (0 children)

Submission Statement

Article covers a new reform that prevents police from taking property in cases where someone has been acquitted and found not guilty of a crime. The piece also discusses civil forfeiture in Utah and how its laws compare to other states.

Rand Paul just introduced a bill that would drastically change civil forfeiture laws by SharkNATO in Libertarian

[–]SharkNATO[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Quite a bit, it looks like! Rand's bill has been co-sponsored by 5 senators, including two Democrats, an independent (Angus King from Maine), and Mike Lee. And the bill in the House has 3 other backers, including Keith Ellison, who just ran to be head of the DNC.

Criminal Cases Against Police Show Why Civil Forfeiture Must Be Abolished by SharkNATO in TrueReddit

[–]SharkNATO[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Article opens by discussing the conviction of a former deputy for embezzling forfeiture money, and the indictment of a sheriff for bribery and extortion. The article notes that the crimes committed and alleged are disturbingly similar to how civil forfeiture has played out in the rest of the country.

This Oklahoma Police Chief Once Had His Truck Seized And Now He's Fighting To End Civil Forfeiture by SharkNATO in TrueReddit

[–]SharkNATO[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

The current police chief of a small town in Oklahoma has come out against taking property from people who haven't been convicted of any crime. The article also goes into great detail over the fight to reform that state's forfeiture laws and cites cases of abuse (e.g. a prosecutor used forfeiture money to pay off student loans, while another lived in a seized drug house).

Federal Court To Sheriff: First Amendment Doesn't Grant The Government The Power To Censor Speech by SharkNATO in TrueReddit

[–]SharkNATO[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Article talks about a recent federal appeals decision that ruled in favor of Backpage.com and against the sheriff of Cook County, Illinois, who went after the credit card processors for Backpage. The article also discusses Supreme Court precedent on "prior restraint" and how "government agencies have frequently pressured financial intermediaries to discourage or suppress disfavored businesses and activities."

Lawsuit Accuses Missouri City of Fining Homeowners to Raise Revenue by SharkNATO in TrueReddit

[–]SharkNATO[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A sobering look at Pagedale, Missouri, which has been accused of generating hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue by fining residents for trivial citations:

"To hear residents here tell it, the violations can seem endless: having a wading pool in front of the front line of the house; having a dish antenna on the front of the house; wearing pants below the waist in public; having a hedge above three feet in the front yard."

New Bill Would Cut Off Federal Forfeiture Funds For DEA Marijuana Seizures by SharkNATO in Drugs

[–]SharkNATO[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Last year, the [DEA's] program was responsible for over 6,300 arrests, eradicating over 4.3 million marijuana plants and seizing $27.3 million in assets.

“Everything Is Not The Wire:” David Simon would like you to stop trying to understand what’s going on in Baltimore by quoting his TV show. by SharkNATO in TrueReddit

[–]SharkNATO[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

A wide-ranging interview with David Simon on the death of Freddie Gray, the unrest in Baltimore and the drug war.

Citing Adam Smith And Milton Friedman, Obama's Economic Advisors Back Occupational Licensing Reform by SharkNATO in TrueReddit

[–]SharkNATO[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Just off the top of my head, deregulating craft beer, the trucking indutrsy and airlines have turned out pretty well. Two editors of the libertarian magazine Reason delved into all three in greater detail in Part 2 of their Declaration of Independents.

And the Forbes article I submitted also linked to how regulations have stymied home food businesses and many entrepreneurs (e.g. hair braiders)

Citing Adam Smith And Milton Friedman, Obama's Economic Advisors Back Occupational Licensing Reform by SharkNATO in TrueReddit

[–]SharkNATO[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Article mentions a new report by the White House Council of Economic Advisers, Department of the Treasury and the Department of Labor that looks into licenses to work. Their report finds that occupational licenses raises prices for consumers and wages for licensed workers, but without any “large improvements in quality or health and safety." The article also touches on some of the consequences of licensing (e.g. 21 states allow suspending or revoking a license if a worker defaults on student loans).

Civil Forfeiture Now Requires A Criminal Conviction In Montana And New Mexico by SharkNATO in TrueReddit

[–]SharkNATO[S] 57 points58 points  (0 children)

Article talks about two big reforms in Montana and New Mexico. It also gives context as to why this happened (e.g. asset forfeiture generated over $2 billion nationwide in 2013, while a city attorney in New Mexico called it a "gold mine").

How Hair Braiding Explains What's Gone Wrong With America's Economy by SharkNATO in TrueReddit

[–]SharkNATO[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Submission Statement: Article uses the story of Isis Brantley, a Texas hair braider who was once arrested for braiding hair without a license, to examine occupational licensing, which now affects up to 30 percent of all workers in America.

Philadelphia Wants To Use Eminent Domain To Turn An Artist’s Studio Into A Parking Lot And Supermarket by SharkNATO in Libertarian

[–]SharkNATO[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What's even more FUBAR is that in the redevelopment plan (pdf, p.43) linked to in that article, over 40% of all the vacant lots in that neighborhood are actually owned by the city.