Austin Police Department Seizes Cocaine, Cash and Cars
The Austin American Statesman just reported that an APD seizure of marijuana, cocaine, almost fifty thousand dollars and some vehicles in a drug investigation:
Detectives conducted surveillance on the apartment and two suspects who left the apartment in separate vehicles were stopped for traffic offenses… This case remains under investigation by the Organized Crime Division.
Yes, I’ve written about the efficacy of civil forfeitures before, but is anyone else bothered by the fact that the government can (permanently) seize property in these drug raids? Anyone read between the lines and figure out the punch line here?
It’s a certainty in my mind, although unstated in the story, that Austin Police had a warrant here…but they apparently waited for the suspects to drive away from the house…why? Probably so they could make a stronger case, if necessary, for confiscation of the vehicles.
(And you guys thought the punch line was going to be that the state is seizing the property while the case is still under investigation.)
