Signs of Collapse

8.30.23 - Signs of Collapse

Gold last traded at $1,943 an ounce. Silver at $24.61 an ounce.

Why Cash Seizures Backfire On Oklahoma Police -RealClearWire

We are all familiar with the uniquely American adage of "innocent until proven guilty"; but this doesn't seem to apply if the government or law enforcement subjectively feels you are carrying too much cash. These scenarios are increasing in frequency with little explanation as to why.

By Dan Alban & Daryl James

Police recruits join the force to help others and fight crime. Research confirms it. But priorities changed when sheriff's deputies detained Eh Wah in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, and found more than $53,000 in his car.

Law enforcement training kicked in, and the purpose of the traffic stop switched from public safety to raising revenue. The deputies seized the cash and spent the next six hours interrogating Eh Wah, looking for any excuse to justify civil forfeiture, a process that allows the government to take and keep cash, cars and other assets without a criminal conviction.

Oklahoma agencies normally keep quiet about civil forfeiture, which is why the state ranks among the worst in the nation for civil forfeiture transparency. Oklahoma publishes no statewide reports, conducts no regular audits, and tracks only limited metrics.

The silence is strategic. The more people learn about civil forfeiture, the less they like it. But Oklahoma police and prosecutors have voiced opposition in recent weeks to H.R. 1525, the Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration Act (FAIR), a bill that would reform federal civil forfeiture.