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It occurred to me that civil forfeiture in the US may have been an attempt to regulate highway robbery. The US traditionally had giant swaths of lightly popula
by lumost 4y ago
It occurred to me that civil forfeiture in the US may have been an attempt to regulate highway robbery. The US traditionally had giant swaths of lightly populated territory between population centers. Most other regions of the world with similar dynamics have struggled with lawmen or other highwaymen illegally confiscating property in such situations.
Did we simply make highway robbery legal if it’s done with a badge?
- s5300 4y agoI think it’s a bit less nefarious than that & mostly just another way to fuck over minorities & make them submissive to authority. It isn’t too often you hear about joe average white guy getting held up in a civil forfeiture dispute. Completely innocent aside from not being white on the other hand, it comes to light every now & then. Without trying to incite a political flame war in these comments - you don’t really hear about the US Republican Party of personal freedoms & ability to shoot & kill anybody who steals from you trying to overturn civil forfeiture.
- ncmncm 4y agoRight, they don't expect to have it done to them.
- pyuser583 4y agoYou’re very close - it’s started in maritime law. The idea was if the captain of a ship had committed a crime, or incurred a fine, and then skipped town, you could seize the ship.