Civil Forfeiture Examples

Police officer misconduct has been a publicly controversial topic for many years. Many people are familiar with the infamous “Ramparts” division of the LAPD where they committed acts of beatings and extortion and the “Riders” of the Oakland Police Department in their brutality against suspects (Criminal Law, n.d.).These examples are just a few of the problems that have occurred and occurring within our criminal justice system. The examples previously described also provide a connection of one familiar form of police misconduct and that is brutality. Police brutality is just one of the many forms of police misconduct and the types that follow under misconduct include theft/fraud, bribery, sexual misconduct, use of excessive force, domestic

Civil forfeiture was originally created with noble and worthwhile intentions. The goal was to battle against crime and budgetary restrictions at the same time, which is very logical. However, over the years civil forfeiture has been warped, and in many cases causes more harm than good. It is important to understand both the positive and negative aspects of civil forfeiture in order to see the big picture of the situation and be able to stand against the issue as a member of society. At its base, civil forfeiture is a law enforcement tool with many different functions.

“And thus came in the use of money, some lasting thing that men might keep without spoiling, and that by mutual consent men would take in exchange for the truly useful, but perishable supports of life” (S.V.47). Because money (which Locke sometimes substitutes with gold, diamonds, or silver), does not spoil, one can acquire an unlimited amount of wealth, therefore breaking the Law of Nature. Unlike the way that excess apples rot, no matter how much money one possesses, there is no way for it to go bad. It will generally have as much use today as it will tomorrow. This leads to the situation of wealth inequality, where some people possess a lot of money while others have very little.

There are limits to their power. Throughout history, there have been several cases that helped shed light on the rules and regulations of searches and seizures. If I was given the opportunity to give a basic course to police officers about the legal boundaries of searches and seizures that is to guide them in their activity, I would inform them on the correct manner of handling a search and seizures to stop any unlawful behavior. In the first lesson of the course, I would inform the police officers to know the difference in between reasonable suspicion and probable cause.

Through the use of financial and administrative sanctions against police officers we can better deter illegal searches and seizures. If an officer makes an illegal search and seizure there can be a set fine that they would have to pay to the courts, the fine can adjust in value to match the severity in misconduct. Officers can face being removed from the case, suspension without pay, or even termination from their job depending on the severity of the violation. These alternatives provide real and motivating consequences to police officers and would act as a better deterrent than the exclusionary

Society don't care where the money comes from, because it makes a person seem successful. Whoever doesn't have much according to them, is a lazy and useless

With the introduction of money, this rule is virtually nullified because money does not spoil. However, Locke still says “every one had a right to as much as he could use” (Locke 28). In today’s world, there is such an uneven distribution of personal wealth that some people might have barely enough to live on, or even nothing to live on at all. In contrast, there are others who have more personal wealth than they even know what to do with. For example, some of the richest people in the world today, such as Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, have made “The Giving Pledge”, meaning that they have made a vow to donate at least half of their wealth to charity.

More often than not, in police brutality or police misconduct, the abuse is more subtle than a torturing aspect. Sometimes, the officers will simply push limits and boundaries in order to recieve a statement from a witness. Similar to prosecutors, officers of the law are assigned the task of making sure our society is as safe as it can be. Occasionally, their determination to keep the city safe can sometimes lead them to crossing the line and abuse the power of their badge.

Wealth may be inherited, known as “old money”, attained through income or suddenly through other means, like fame, referred to as “new money”, or one may have wealth and income. Many upper-class families have been situated in their position for many years as social class tends to persist through generations. This wealth, as with many other aspects of life, is mostly handled by a third party. Families tend to hire assistants, financial advisors, and realtors to maintain the order of their schedules, money, and property. They may also employ domestic help,

My idea of money was not far from that same thought. When you think of how many people have gained their wealth through selfish and corrupt ways, it is kind of hard to not have this thought process. Money can drive people to do things that they would never dream of doing. In his speech, Francisco d’Anconia speaks of how money demands our highest virtues. He talks about men who obtain their money through compulsion or by favors, instead of by consent or by hard work.

It is the man of wealth that cannot handle the money correctly. This is proven

The Justice system has shown a pattern of taking the side of law enforcement. As of today, police brutality, specifically excessive force still remains as one of the most serious human rights violations. From the severe beatings, to the unjustified shootings, and inexcusable aggressive rough treatment all contribute to police officer misconduct. Many officers need to be opened minded about the way they address victims, suspects, and criminals. Yes, they have the upper power, but in any situation everyone is a human being and should be treated as such; the majority of this unacceptable behavior goes unnoticed or unreported.

The main factor of wealth that causes trouble is the inability to create a better life. Most want success

Depending on who you ask, what one considers police abuse of power, another may not. Today, regardless of many views to its legal contrast to police organizations, abuse of police power can be realized in forms of action such as verbal, harassment, false arrest, assault, excessive use of force, and illegal killings. However, regardless of what one considers, when those consistent actions of abuse by the police become the norm, it not only creates abuse, but also a stigma towards the police. Police harassment, use of excessive force and/or deadly force is destroying police-minority community relations.

On the other hand, there is that amount of people who believe if the victims really did do something so terribly wrong, they deserve the punishment they receive. This can be a very touchy subject to talk about since there are so many viewpoints on police brutality and corruption, but there are some officers who are getting away with abusing their power. Police corruption can be used in many different ways, but the most common ways are where the police either abuse their contracts as officers to gain power for themselves in the department or for personal gain, like bribery or officers using the evidence taken for themselves. Extortion is also a problem in the system where officers use their power to threaten someone in order to get ownership of property or money. In one case, Enfield officer Matthew Worden was accused of using excessive force, meaning that while the suspects