Legal Commentary

A Not-So-Careful Search

By TChris

The police love asset forfeiture laws because they get to keep lots of cool stuff that used to belong to drug dealers (among other crimes to which the laws apply). So imagine how happy the Dallas police were to seize a black 2004 Infiniti at a drug house. It became a nice ride for undercover police officers.

Of course, before they put the car into service, they searched it for contraband. Not well enough, it seems. After two months:

An officer cleaning the car at a patrol station Wednesday discovered the nearly 50 pounds (23 kilograms) of cocaine carefully hidden in hydraulically controlled compartments.

On a more serious note, wouldn't the public be better served if (as is true in some states) seized assets were sold and the money directed to school budgets? That would certainly give the police less incentive to indulge in questionable seizures.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on July 11, 2008 (boomark / email).