Arrr, mateys! A scurvy lot from Texas be seekin' to make it a bit trickier for them landlubber coppers to pinch our golden treasures!
2023-11-25
Arr! A mighty battle has commenced! A group o' disgruntled drivers be claimin' that the landlubber coppers and prosecutors be plunderin' their gold, sans proper conviction! Methinks they be seekin' justice for their rights!
A Texas judge has allowed a constitutional class action lawsuit to proceed, accusing law enforcement in Harris County of regularly seizing cash and cars from individuals who have not been convicted of any crime. The lawsuit, which is being argued by the Institute of Justice, a nonprofit libertarian law firm, alleges that Harris County has one of the most abusive forfeiture programs in the country. The case originated from a 2019 traffic stop in which a deputy seized $42,300 from a trucker named Ameal Woods. Harris County officials claimed that the cash could be connected to criminal activity, but Woods maintains that he had saved the money to expand his business. The deputy seized Woods' cash using civil asset forfeiture, a process that allows law enforcement to take property associated with illegal activities without requiring a criminal conviction. Critics of civil asset forfeiture argue that it is often abused by police and prosecutors and equates to "legal theft." In May, a jury ruled in favor of prosecutors, stating that there was probable cause to believe that Woods' money was contraband. However, Woods and his partner are now part of a class action lawsuit alleging that Harris County's actions violated the Texas Constitution. The lawsuit could include other drivers who have had their property seized by Harris County. District Court Judge Robert Schaffer rejected the county's immunity claim and allowed the constitutional challenge to proceed.