Civil Asset Forfeiture Laws Struck Down By Michigan Court Of Appeals

[bobandtorey]

LANSING, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - The Michigan Court of Appeals rules it's unconstitutional to force a low income person to have their day in court only after they pay bond.

Michigan House Republicans say this new ruling is a step in the right direction and want to take this ruling a step further.

Newschannel 3’s Political Reporter Nick Minock talked with Republican State Representative Pete Lucido, who said no one - rich or poor - should have to post bond before they get their day in court.

Lucido and House Republicans are working to reform Civil Asset Forfeiture laws.

Civil Asset Forfeiture is a Michigan law that allows police officers to seize your property if they believe it’s in connection to a crime.

Guilty or not, you must post bond to get your property back.

It’s a lengthy and expensive process that Representative Lucido says is unfair and un-American, but that’s not all.

Lucido says police departments are actually profiting from this state law.

Lucido said, “You should not profit from criminal activity because that is disingenuous to law abiding citizens. There's an incentive in my eyes to go ahead a grab property. The more (police) grab the more that comes into the police coffers and as a result they can go ahead and pay the departments and or use it for resources for criminal activity. The unfortunate part is they are lumping innocent along with possible guilty."

He said it's unconscionable to have a law like this and police departments are profiting $19 million on average every year from items officers seize from their communities.

Those items include cars, cell phones, computers, and even houses and now Republicans in Lansing are working to change that.

 

http://wwmt.com/news/local/civil-asset-forfeiture-laws-struck-down-by-michigan-court-of-appeals?utm_campaign=Court+News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=32564898

[outsideinthecold]

Civil forfeiture is not a fine.....It is a tax by another name.

[Wild Bill]

Not a tax, a crime.

[Indigro]

Lucido said, “You should not profit from criminal activity because that is disingenuous to law abiding citizens."

 

 

Blows me away a judge has the nards to say this, considering the entire criminal justice system runs as a measure of tax funding to drive private gains. The whole system is disingenous to law abiding citizens.

 

Im just reasoning there is a better way for our system to behave is all. A little common sense will go a long way, calling a spade a spade wouldnt hurt.

[Kingdiamond]

How can a guy be for us and against us  at the same time?

 

Lucido  doesn't know up from down I guess first on trying to implement stricter rules on patients and caregivers to actually protecting  us from civil forfeiture laws ?

[bax]

probably because similar laws were struck down in other states, he saw the writing on the wall and joined with the people's side to be the savior we all need.

 

barf.

[bax]

note that he didnt do bunny muffin. the coa rendered an opinion.

[Kingdiamond]

note that he didnt do bunny muffin. the coa rendered an opinion.

But my point is that he is in support of stopping civil forfeiture actions I know the ruling did not come from him personally.

[beourbud]

The anti canna bills coming from the repubs are supported by the dispensary lobby,

 

The disp lobby also has the most to lose thru Forfieture . Imo, Lucido trying to score points with the disp lobby.

 

He don't give a darn about patients.

Edited August 7, 2016 by beourbud