Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Media working on behalf of Republicans

This is a horrible situation, and I hope it gets changed so that it doesn't cause hardship to innocent people.
But I noticed how the AP is trying to make it appear that progressives are not appalled by this horrible situation.

http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=262612

Posted: Sunday, June 16th 2013 at 9:28am
Lawmakers seek changes for property seizure legislation
By The Associated Press

ATLANTA - Alda Gentile was not arrested. She was not charged with a crime. Yet police in Georgia seized $11,530 in cash that Gentile said she had in a car for a house-hunting trip in Florida.

Police confiscated the money after stopping the car, driven by her son, for speeding. They searched for drugs but found nothing.

Her case has become a rallying cry for libertarian, conservative and other groups seeking to change laws in Georgia that allow law enforcement to seize property and cash from people who have not been convicted of crimes, a process known as civil forfeiture.

Lawmakers in at least four states have proposed changing similar laws, with varying levels of intensity and success.

Those seeking to change the system say the process allows police to skirt the higher standards of proof needed in criminal trials and puts those who lose property in the position of having to prove their innocence.

"I never even thought it was anything illegal about bringing cash," said Gentile, who got the money back after days of frantic phone calls. "They made me feel like a criminal."

The leader of the Georgia Sheriffs' Association says the success of forfeiture laws cannot be judged based on isolated cases. Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills, whose agency was not involved in the seizure from Gentile, said the system is supposed to make sure that someone sent to prison for drug dealing cannot enjoy cars and cash obtained through illegal means once they are released. He noted that Gentile got her money back, and he accused his opponents of coddling criminals while fighting against legislation to set stricter rules in Georgia.

"That bill would have only benefited, in my personal and professional opinion, criminals and the lawyers who represent them," he said.

-----

No comments:

Post a Comment