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This happened to a coworker of mine, when he was flying from the midwest back to San Francisco. He had $15,000 cash on him and it was noticed at security. As he

This happened to a coworker of mine, when he was flying from the midwest back to San Francisco. He had $15,000 cash on him and it was noticed at security. As he was boarding the plane, government officials grabbed him and took the money. However, it did happen to be money he had made selling drugs several years prior. They had identified him as a convicted felon with a drug related offense and connected the money to it.

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dibujante 11y ago
Still problematic. If you removed all due process, a hypothetical police officer could grab someone they're reasonably certain is a criminal and throw them in prison. They could also grab someone they are reasonably certain cut them off on the freeway and throw them in prison. Just because suspending due process makes it easier to apprehend criminals isn't the point. Due process wasn't included in the Constitution because of naiveté.
- criddell 11y ago
  A person is presumed innocent. The money is guilty until proven innocent.
  - dibujante 11y ago
    If I stole your TV, would I be burglarizing you? Or kidnapping your TV? Last I recall, kidnapping an appliance is not a crime. Where do you live?
    - tedks 11y ago
      I don't think the comment parent was arguing that such a distinction is reasonable, but it is the basis of civil forfeiture in the United States. Money has no constitutional rights, so it can be presumed innocent and seized until its owner can argue on behalf of its innocence.
    - ourmandave 11y ago
      In asset forfeiture you get this kind of asshattery. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._$124,700_in_U.S._Currency https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._$124,700_in_U...
gozur88 11y ago
There's a difference between the cops taking your money because it's there and the cops taking it because you broke the law. If he took $15k onto an international flight without declaring it he broke currency smuggling laws.

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dibujante 11y ago

Still problematic. If you removed all due process, a hypothetical police officer could grab someone they're reasonably certain is a criminal and throw them in prison. They could also grab someone they are reasonably certain cut them off on the freeway and throw them in prison. Just because suspending due process makes it easier to apprehend criminals isn't the point. Due process wasn't included in the Constitution because of naiveté.

criddell 11y ago
A person is presumed innocent. The money is guilty until proven innocent.
- dibujante 11y ago
  If I stole your TV, would I be burglarizing you? Or kidnapping your TV? Last I recall, kidnapping an appliance is not a crime. Where do you live?
  - tedks 11y ago
    I don't think the comment parent was arguing that such a distinction is reasonable, but it is the basis of civil forfeiture in the United States. Money has no constitutional rights, so it can be presumed innocent and seized until its owner can argue on behalf of its innocence.
  - ourmandave 11y ago
    In asset forfeiture you get this kind of asshattery. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._$124,700_in_U.S._Currency https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._$124,700_in_U...

gozur88 11y ago

There's a difference between the cops taking your money because it's there and the cops taking it because you broke the law. If he took $15k onto an international flight without declaring it he broke currency smuggling laws.