COP on the Hill: Stories from the week of April 19, 2024

Progress Made: 

This month of April I am dropping off a sheet on how to arrest someone for DUI Marijuana; but only stopping at offices where the state has not yet legalized God’s green plant.  It struck me and I smiled, as I passed so many offices that made the change; even Ohio, Montana, Arizona, etc.

As I begin my 24^th year at this task, I take some satisfaction that by arrest: 25% of the Drug War is over. (half of all drug arrests have been for MJ, half the states have legalized = 25%).  Of course, change has been agonizingly slow.

Almost forgotten topic: Policing for Profit via Civil Asset Forfeiture became a major feature of police work, starting in 1986…we only needed to find cash to take it and force the citizen to prove it was NOT going to be used to buy drugs.

This week I gave the Grover Norquist, center-right 100 my summary of progress…full presentation at bottom…34 states in this century have revised their laws to make it much harder for the police to take your 500 or 1000 dollars..even Kansas this week made it harder…the last 14 states are all Red.  No surprise.

This Week:

1 meeting: Grover Norquist

5169 Presentations to Congressional staffers… 17 this week

400 personal chats with a Member of Congress… 02, CMan McGarvey (D-KY) and CWoman Williams (D-NC)

COP stats since inception: August 2009

467 chats with other elected officials, state reps, senators, VIPs,   …spoke to 0 this week

117 Appearances/Interviews on major TV/Radio/Print media. 0 this week

101 Radio Interviews:  0 this week

245 interviews and reports in minor media … 0 this week –

34 major conferences attended – CPAC 2024, (3 UN drug conferences in Vienna, Austria),  LULAC, NRA, CBC, ASA, DPA, Dem & Repub. Presidential conventions., National Review, Republican Annual Retreat etc.) 0 this week

Media:  Blaze TV {new, popular right-wing}, (Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, BBC, CNN, NPR, OAN, German, Swiss, French, Spanish TV and radio) Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Grand Rapids Press + 9 other MI papers. Chicago Tribune, Honolulu Star Advertiser {foto and caption}, Reason Magazine, Reuters, Stern

* Consider being a member of COP at $40 or more per year. All contributions are tax-deductible. 40 dollars buys all the copy paper COP uses in one year. Law Enforcement’s voice in opposition to current policy is vital on the Hill to achieve a repeal of federal drug prohibition. COP provides that voice. www.citizensopposingprohibition.org ( to donate by Internet)

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Buckeystown, MD  21717

Policing For Profit AKA Civil Asset Forfeiture

Scope of the issue:  in this century the police are averaging 5 billion per year, 500 or 1000 dollars at a time.

Police and their unions fight changes tooth and nail.  It is a true slush fund for their departments.  Many prosecutors take 10% of all the seizures, so they fight change also

Bath Story:  From my own experience:  colleague stopped a guy for speeding; given consent to search the pickup; found $2200 in a bank bag; officer seized the cash and the truck; Prosecutor said you can have Half the Money today and your truck back, or wait 18 months ( and no truck) for the judge to hear the case…the barber who was en route to the bank with his weekly cash payment, took the deal..Legal Theft

TN…per un-rebutted investigation..in the 00s…. 91% of traffic stops with searches were made on I – 40 in the WB direction. Only 9% EB, where the cars carry the drugs between Memphis and Nashville.  TN law enforcement wanted the money, much more than stopping drugs.

Maine now joins Nebraska, New Mexico, and North Carolina as the fourth state that ended civil forfeiture and replaced it with criminal forfeiture.  All states retain criminal forfeiture.

At the federal level in 2024 –  U.S. Representatives Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Jamie Raskin (D-MD) reintroduced the Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration Act (FAIR Act), a comprehensive reform to our nation’s civil asset forfeiture laws,” the two lawmakers announced in March.

2024. “Gov Stitt of Oklahoma said….”We need to address civil asset forfeiture,” Stitt said. “It’s crazy to me that somebody can be pulled over and have their cash and truck taken for an alleged crime, get acquitted of that crime, but they still never get their property back.
2025. Gov. Ducey: “Arizonans can stand strong in combating organized crime and criminal activity, without sacrificing the rights guaranteed under our Constitution for law abiding citizens. He signed legislation to make it harder for the police to just seize/steal money.

Kansas will sign legislation this week to move from preponderance to ‘clear and convincing ‘ evidence.

34 states now require more than: ‘51% – clear & convincing evidence Versus—-Preponderance of the evidence…Utah, Az, Florida are strict…Ga, Alabama, Tennessee, OK are NOT.

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Once Upon a Time in America…sidewalk chats for 3100 miles