John Oliver Takes On The US Government's Legalized Theft Programs, Asset Seizure And Civil Asset Forfeiture

from the due-process?-never-heard-of-it dept

"Last Week Tonight's" John Oliver is again taking an entertaining swing at a subject that has made its way into Techdirt's pages: asset seizure and forfeiture. Going beyond the "robbery at badgepoint" (Cory Doctorow's term) to civil asset forfeiture (in which the government files suit against property that is presumed guilty of criminal ties), Oliver is his usual entertaining self while still managing to highlight the obscene depths these programs -- started with the intent of breaking up criminal enterprises and returning assets to those defrauded, etc. -- have sunk, thanks to the perversion of incentives.

The highlights are a law enforcement official sheepishly explaining (in a public hearing) that there is really no oversight or discretion involved in the spending of seized funds. (He flat out states that it's used to buy "toys" the department "needs.") This leads directly to a police department being called out by a citizen (in another public meeting) for purchasing booze and a margarita machine with seized funds.

Also fun (but in a rather twisted way) is the names of suits brought by the US against "guilty" property, including United States v. Article Consisting of 50,000 Cardboard Boxes More or Less, Each Containing One Pair of Clacker Balls. You can find several others simply by running a search at Justia. (This also happens at state level, so additional searching uncovers gems like this one: South Dakota vs. Fifteen Impounded Cats.)

Anything that brings more attention to this issue is welcome. Oliver's take allows for a rather painless digestion of the issue while still refusing to underplay how thoroughly corrupted the ideal has become, thanks mainly to policies that allow those seizing the property to directly benefit from the seizures. As to a solution, Oliver suggests two things: an overhaul of this system and rigorous oversight or (the easier route) changing TV procedurals to more accurately reflect law enforcement activities -- like the cuffing and frisking houses, furniture, etc.

Filed Under: asset fofeiture, asset seizure, john oliver, law enforcement, legalized theft, us government