Oldsailor65 Loc: Iowa

Girlfriend accused of selling pot, government takes boyfriend's Jeep
Owner did 'nothing wrong,' but bureaucrats want to sell his vehicle, keep money

If a citizen does it, it's grand theft auto.

If a prosecutor does it, its just fine, apparently.

But the Goldwater Institute thinks there's something wrong with prosecutors confiscating an innocent man's $15,000 Jeep, selling it and keeping the money.

The organization is fighting on behalf of Kevin McBride of Tucson against Arizona's civil asset forfeiture "scheme."

The institute posted a video explaining the dispute:

"When the government steals an innocent man’s Jeep and demands $1,900 to return it, you really can’t call it anything but government theft," said Matt Miller, a senior attorney for the institute.

"That's what Arizona’s civil asset forfeiture scheme is all about— and the Goldwater Institute is taking action to end the injustice," he said.

He explained McBride is a handyman who uses his Jeep for his work.

"Back in May, Kevin’s girlfriend stopped by his job site and asked if she could help him cool off by getting him a soda from a local convenience store. Because she had no other way to get there, she took his Jeep and he went back to work," Miller said.

She didn't return, and when he got a ride to the store, he found his Jeep being towed by police.

On the scene, a police officer gave McBride a phone number, and three weeks later, he finally was able to get through. He was told the local prosecutor was holding his Jeep as evidence of a $25 crime they said his girlfriend committed, the alleged sale of three grams of marijuana.

Even though charges against the girlfriend were dropped, prosecutors "were keeping the Jeep using civil forfeiture, even though Kevin had done nothing wrong," Miller said.

McBride was told by the Pima County attorney's office if he paid $1,900, he could get his vehicle back.

"There was no explanation why. That was just an amount the government had chosen. Kevin could pay it, or he could watch his Jeep be sold—with police keeping the proceeds," Miller explained.

In the state's civil forfeiture, police confiscate property and the owner is forced to prove innocence.

"Despite modest reforms to the state’s laws in 2017, Arizona still has a problem with civil forfeiture abuse," Miller said. For McBride, he "must hire an attorney (although here Kevin is represented pro bono by the Goldwater Institute), go to court, and prove a negative—that he did not know that his girlfriend was using the Jeep to allegedly sell marijuana."

But the Miller pointed out that the Constitution doesn't allow the presumption of guilt.

"The burden should be on the government to show that Kevin was involved. Furthermore, let us take a step back for some perspective on what happened here. Kevin’s girlfriend allegedly used the Jeep to sell about $25 worth of marijuana to an undercover police officer. Tucson now claims the right to forfeit Kevin’s Jeep—which is worth about $15,000—and keep the money."

The institute has informed the government that if prosecutors proceed with the forfeiture, McBride will countersue to have the courts strike the entire state forfeiture process

https://www.wnd.com/2020/08/girlfriend-accused-selling-pot-government-takes-boyfriends-jeep/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=wnd-breaking&utm_campaign=breaking&utm_content=breaking&ats_es=8fb799e06563a601f50b5fdaf395b859

son of witless

This is an old problem.

Peewee Loc: San Antonio, TX

Why do men always get the short end of the stick from Lady Justice? We need to unrig this system. Equal justice is the law.

DonaldR Loc: Florida

Now let me see...... Girl friend borrows Jeep and is caught making a drug deal. Boy friend just had NO idea that she would ever do such a vile deed......

Ya sure ......................................

son of witless

It doesn't matter. It is what can be proven.

Peewee Loc: San Antonio, TX

I agree. But smoking it together is different from selling. He probably grows it and has her doing the selling. He wasn't busted but it's probably how he enhances his tax-free income.

Doctor Dave Loc: Madisonville, Tx.

Conjecture is not a form of evidence.

woodguru

So he deserved to lose his jeep? And don't lose sight of the fact that the charges were dropped, so what is the justification then?

woodguru

Speculating is ridiculous, there is simply no way to know, and charges have to be proved.

Peewee Loc: San Antonio, TX

I use logic and experience. I used to work in a prison for 17 years. I've heard all the stories. Just my experience. If it looks like a duck, etc... not valid in a court of law but you use it all the time with Trump, don't you? So, I can use it too. Your guys used it in the impeachment process and lost. Because he was impeached but not convicted by the Senate. That's a loss, not a win.

Peewee Loc: San Antonio, TX

There isn't any, other than legal theft by the police dept. and padding their income or the cities coffers. Another possible revenue stream by the left, like licenses for everything. If you decide the rules and laws, you get to steal other people's stuff.

How many families have built farms or ranches over generations and have had to sell them to pay inheritance taxes? It beats having to pay fair market value for the land and a city can continue to expand and pour more concrete, build more homes, and increase their revenue base. Seldom can the little guy compete and win in the court rooms. The system is rigged.

Government wins and grows bigger and stronger and we all lose. The US has two systems of law. Common Law and the Law of the Sea. The Law of the Sea is eradicating the Common Law of the Land. The Law of the Sea is used by Central Bankers and the Federal Reserve controlled by the EU and Rothschilds.

Trump is destroying them. When our system flips back to the gold backed money system, you can stick a fork in them, their done. Trump controls both the Treasury and out Federal Reserve. That's his magic wand and how he is bringing the economy back twice. Live and learn how a president is just as powerful as the other branches if they don't play the selling out of America, game.

FallenOak Loc: St George Utah

Don’t forget that government has the Right of Eminent Domain which gives them the right to steal your property for whatever friend they on tap to sell your land to.

Peewee Loc: San Antonio, TX

I didn't forget but thanks for reminding others. They once turned a place we leased into a mall and we had to move because of it. It set my family back again.