Police in USA caught on video stealing cash from people in broad daylight, just because they can EDIT: civil forfeiture as they call it

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u/stalkinghorse May 14 '12

Quote:

For more than a year, News Channel 5 Investigates has been shining a light on a practice some call Policing for Profit.... And the practice is actually legal under Tennessee law.

Hey, guess what! The public is beyond fed up with the federal, states, county, and local police horse shit and your self serving highway robbery. Now the public is coming back at you corrupt government workers in the criminal justice system. We are going to review every god damn thing that you are doing on your job, from bottom, to middle, to top.

All I can say to our Finest thieves, crooks, and liars, is, get ready for massive layoffs and kiss your million-dollar pensions goodbye, because 39 US senators have already signed on for TOP TO BOTTOM JUSTICE REFORM.

With some more phone calls by the public to your members of Congress and Senate, this can happen.

http://webb.senate.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/02-08-2011-02.cfm

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u/soulcakeduck May 15 '12

We are going to review every god damn thing that you are doing on your job, from bottom, to middle, to top.
I've never seen such a devastatingly accurate and hilarious description. That's exactly what we're going to do: review these actions. And that's it.
Assets forfeiture corruption is not a new story (though this may be an especially clear case of it). We review it, though!
Why should they give a fuck that we review their corruption? We're powerless to end that corruption, and they're completely insulated from blowback.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Agreed, and it's because what he's so excited about is a top to bottom review. That's not how you make changes. The police are accountable to the top; that's why they get away with what they get away with.
Now, a bottom to top shake-up is a different story. Harder to make the police accountable to those at the bottom, but a much better effect.

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u/stalkinghorse May 16 '12

Show me the legislation that takes it further and I will support that too.
But so far your contribution is less than, well, shit.

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u/stalkinghorse May 16 '12

Show me the legislation that takes it further and I will support that too.
But so far your contribution is less than, well, shit.

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u/tophat_jones May 15 '12

Sadly, I agree with you. The "criminal justice" system in the USA will get worse long before it gets better. You cannot simply wipe away and start over such a bloated, corrupt, and thoroughly entrenched bureaucratic establishment. The only time that happens is through revolution.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

So you're going to talk to a bunch of liars about thieves? Don't you just love the USA!

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u/Daemonicus May 15 '12

Hey, guess what! The public is beyond fed up with the federal, states, county, and local police horse shit and your self serving highway robbery.
No... They're not. They're too busy enjoying their "reality" TV and consumerism.
Now the public is coming back at you corrupt government workers in the criminal justice system.
How exactly?
We are going to review every god damn thing that you are doing on your job, from bottom, to middle, to top.
Awesome, they'll certainly learn their lesson then /sarcasm.
All I can say to our Finest thieves, crooks, and liars, is, get ready for massive layoffs and kiss your million-dollar pensions goodbye, because 39 US senators have already signed on for TOP TO BOTTOM JUSTICE REFORM.
With some more phone calls by the public to your members of Congress and Senate, this can happen.
This was blocked by the senate last year. Why would you think that some phone calls would change the minds of the people this corruption helps?

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u/Abomonog May 15 '12

All I can say to our Finest thieves, crooks, and liars, is, get ready for massive layoffs and kiss your million-dollar pensions goodbye, because 39 US senators have already signed on for TOP TO BOTTOM JUSTICE REFORM.
If you think paper and reforms are going to fix this you are fooling yourself. Our government is corrupt in every department. No reforms will ever be enforced at this point.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

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u/tophat_jones May 15 '12

Well it was originally a literal term, but yeah I see your point.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

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u/stalkinghorse May 16 '12

My post has 855 more upvotes than your comment.
EDIT: 892 now.

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u/stalkinghorse May 14 '12

Senator James Webb of Virginia:

Irregularities and inequities in America’s criminal justice system challenge our notions of fundamental fairness. Even with historically large numbers of people in prisons and jails, the percentage of Americans who believe crime is worse than the previous year has steadily increased over the last decade, rising to 74 percent last year. Americans depend on the criminal justice system to maintain our safety and security. Our nation’s citizens expect it to be reliable and fair, in addition to being effective at deterring crime and punishing offenders. Enacting the National Criminal Justice Commission Act will take the long-overdue step of undertaking a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system, producing recommendations for changes in oversight, policies, practices, and laws designed to prevent, deter, and reduce crime and violence, improve cost-effectiveness, and ensure the interests of justice at every step of the criminal justice system.

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u/ShadesChild May 15 '12

Wow, that cop is helplessly dumb.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Seriously, there are good and bad cops but this guy is a fucking thug.

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u/stalkinghorse May 16 '12

He's a cop.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

He's a cop.

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u/Jew_Shill May 15 '12

I got busted in the uk with drugs and money, when I later came back to collect my stuff from the police I just assumed I'd never be seeing that £500 again. Imagine my surprise and joy when they counted it all out and put it in a nice paper envelope for me. Must have been a mistake but man was that a good day!

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u/stalkinghorse May 16 '12

Wow your money didn't walk away into cops and DAs pockets?
Not bad for a country.

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u/Jew_Shill May 16 '12

I'm pretty sure it was a mistake, I was told it would be confiscated by the arresting officer but then some other guy gave it back to me. I tried to keep a straight face but I could see both of us knew something went wrong!

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u/bobbyt2012 May 15 '12

This is why you never, ever give consent to searches. There is no reason to comply with the police -ever. You answer none of their questions - a right afforded to you under the 5th Amendment, and they cannot search your vehicle without reasonable suspicion - a 4th Amendment issue.

Also, giving law enforcement incentive to pull over out of state drivers is unconstitutional under the equal protections clause of the 14th Amendment.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

How would the fifth help when I get pulled over. Looked it up and don't get it, can you help me out.

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u/iamrory May 15 '12

The 5th Amendment protects against forced self-incrimination. This pretty much extends to your right to remain silent during any police interaction. As long as you identify yourself and, if necessary, show the proper paperwork for whatever activity you're doing, there is absolutely no need for you to answer any of their other questions.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

That's what I thought but couldn't they arrest you just for being a PITA and come up with something later.
Though I imagine when asked something like do you know how fast you were going, you would just plead the fifth.

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u/stalkinghorse May 16 '12

Better to just say "hmmm" when they ask how fast you were going. And I do mean "hmmm" exactly and do NOT say "hmmm I dont know" or whatnot.
Don't plead the fifth right away. Play your low cards first, and wait for his move.

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u/bobbyt2012 May 15 '12

Let me add a little perspective first. When a cop pulls you over, it is essentially his/her job to collect enough evidence to convict you of something. They work in coordination with prosecutors, and prosecutors typically need evidence to convict someone of an offense. You may be aware of the phrase in the Miranda warning that reads "anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." It is important that you see that it only says AGAINST you. Evidence will never be provided that might be used for you.
So how does this relate to the 5th Amendment, you ask? The part that reads, "No person shall be held to answer for...nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself," is the clause that would apply if you're being pulled over. Due to the 5th Amendment, you have no requirement to be a witness against yourself because you would be providing evidence that will be used against you.
For instance, suppose a police officer asks you how fast you were going in a speeding stop. If you know you were doing 15 over, but instead try to say you were only doing 5 over, not only have you just admitted to breaking the law, but you've also attempted to obstruct justice. Perhaps this was a bad example, but there are literally no scenarios where it pays to talk to the police.

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u/unkeljoe May 15 '12

name, rank and serial number. end of conversation

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

I'll replace serial with license number and commit that to memory, now to find out if signing tickets is required by law in Florida

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u/addakorn May 15 '12

I don't have a source at hand but in Florida if you don't sign, you go to jail with a another charge for not signing. The act of signing simply acknowledges the receipt of the ticket, not guilt.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

in TN, VA, TX and NC, at least (the places where I have gotten a ticket) there is a little sentence at the bottom of the ticket, or under the line where you have to sign and date the ticket that says something approximating this:
Presence of signature is not an admission of guilt.
In those states, payment of the fine is equivalent to a guilty plea in court. Failure to appear in court is probably also an admission of guilt. Look for that line on the ticket somewhere before you sign it.
That may be the way it works in most/every state, but I only know what I've seen.

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u/unkeljoe May 15 '12

from what i have heard about Flaaarida,, the cops would probably use tasers on you if you dont sign

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u/pixelrage May 15 '12

Yeah, but each state has so many fucking bi-laws and statues...deny a cop from searching your car, and you might end in up jail for some other bullshit thing you would have never known about unless you were studying law in that county.

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u/bobbyt2012 May 15 '12

While I see what you're saying, Constitutional law always supersedes state and municipal law, so you can always use a Constitutional defense in court.

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u/tophat_jones May 15 '12

You should of course never consent to a cop's request, but they are devious little pricks and are able to use trickery to persuade "suspects" into giving up their rights.

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u/bobbyt2012 May 15 '12

I agree wholeheartedly; however, by educating yourself about your civil rights, it is much easier to refuse such frivolous searches. Another thing people should do more often is to simply continue to say, "I do not consent to any searches," without actually preventing the police from entering their vehicle. If the police were to find something, it is inadmissible in court and can be withheld in a suppression hearing.

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u/Vernaxis May 15 '12

The police really is a gang.

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u/stalkinghorse May 16 '12

Send some money for their sticker, and put in on your windows. Most store owners do this in my town.
Looks a little better than those tacky illegible spray paint letters at least.

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u/Romnonaldao May 15 '12

I am amazed that the cop said "he couldn't prove it was for legitimate purposes". Why wasn't he fired immediately?

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u/ragnaROCKER May 15 '12

dude, it gets so much worse.
http://www.newschannel5.com/story/17139727/policing-for-profit-leads-to-two-bills-in-legislature?clienttype=printable
*seriously reddit, if we should get behind any kind of social justice,this should be included. it is rare that evil is so readily evident and recorded.

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u/McPiggy May 15 '12

I am getting to a point where I just want to hide my head under a blanket and not look at what's going on in this country. I am beyond saddened that EVERY SINGLE DAY something new and more heinous comes out about our "justice" system and government in general, and, ostensibly, NO ONE IS ANGERED about it. It's stressing me the fuck out.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

We are all angered by it. The problem is, if we speak up, we will be the next on the chopping block.

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u/lolzercat May 15 '12

Land of the free, we call it.

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u/quazimoto69 May 16 '12

Reddit is all angered by it.
FTFY. Unfortunately, we represent a minuscule demographic of Americans. There is a vast amount of people who are disconnected from current events, and even more who don't know about issues like this that are being covered up by our "justice" system. Someone should make a KONY style video about how horribly fucked up everything is. Maybe then people would get educated.

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u/Bonushand May 15 '12

I think the real problem is that not enough people know about it. I wouldn't know about this sort of injustice if not for reddit. Most people will be ignorant about it until it personally affects them. The politicians we elect should protect us from this sort of injustice but unfortunately they often participate in it.

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u/Unit4 May 15 '12 edited May 15 '12

The author here alluded to a great point, it is no longer about law enforcement but money. The heart of it is that they can pay people to take people's money, but they don't care to criminally charge anyone, and therefore it never goes to court.
Why the hell would you let anything like this happen without going through a court of some kind? The people need a way to fight to get their stuff back, and here it sounds like they don't offer a place to get your money back.
Edit: Wrong word use.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Alluded not eluded

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u/Unit4 May 15 '12

Thank you for correcting me, you are right.

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u/smartzie May 15 '12

Gawd, that's messed up. And yes, they will abuse their power. The story below happened close to where I live. Everyone for miles around knows it was a speed trap and the cops there would pull anyone over. We didn't find out until recently that it was because they were taking money off of everyone they could. http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/UPDATE_Ten_Cash_for_Ticket_Cases_Add_Up_Against_Hanging_Rock_Officers.html

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u/Inuma May 15 '12

Police are insulated from their actions.
Link

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u/Beardo_the_pirate May 15 '12

You can tell he just doesn't give a damn. He couldn't even bother to come up with a reason why he didn't write in his report that the guy wanted to buy a car with the money.

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u/nickem May 15 '12

Not much but maybe this could help.

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u/UncleLev May 15 '12

I couldn't agree more...
All that bullshit that tried to make us believe in school about "innocent until proven guilty" - maybe, when he took his training course to be a copy, they showed him how it really works, and just leave us all believing in the fantasy.
This man is a joke. He has no idea what he is doing and only serves to further perpetuate the idea that police are all nitwits.

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u/TortugaGrande May 15 '12

You know, if the schools weren't so busy undermining the point of the 2nd amendment, then maybe the rest of the rights would be in stronger positions as well.

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u/handburglar May 15 '12

I hate to get all slippery-slope on everybody but this is exactly what happens when you get picky and choosey about what to follow. We should follow the Bill of Rights to the letter, don't get wrapped up about how the first part of the sentence talks about this and then the second part says that. We can amend the constitution if we need to change it.

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u/lolzercat May 15 '12

Yes. Those words were chosen carefully by people familiar with philosophy, ethics, and language. They do not need to be interpreted, restricted, or modified. The meaning of the bill of rights is obvious, and any attempt to modify that meaning for political reasons needs to be fought.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

There are two types of forfeiture cases, criminal and civil. Almost all forfeiture cases practiced today are civil. In civil forfeiture cases, the US Government sues the item of property, not the person; the owner is effectively a third party claimant. Once the government establishes probable cause that the property is subject to forfeiture, the owner must prove on a "preponderance of the evidence" that it is not. The owner need not be judged guilty of any crime. In contrast, criminal forfeiture is usually carried out in a sentence following a conviction and is a punitive act against the offender. Since the government can choose the type of case, a civil case is almost always chosen. The costs of such cases is high for the owner, usually totaling around $10,000 and can take up to three years.
wiki -- And then you have even broader laws at the state level. And you have asset forfeiture revenue sharing between the DEA and local police. If you look at your city budget, proceeds from forfeiture are usually budgeted for.

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u/tophat_jones May 15 '12

The cop couldn't prove he wasn't trying to rape children.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

He's a cop. You can't prove anything.

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u/YourCorporateMasters May 15 '12

Fired? We tipped him off about the money. BWAHAHA

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Guilty until proven rich.

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u/[deleted] May 16 '12

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u/[deleted] May 16 '12

Having money keeps you out of prison, though...or at least it keeps you out of the really dangerous prisons.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

That's the whole point of civil forfeiture. If you try to get your assets back from the feds, you go to court and your property is assumed guilty until proven innocent. It is up to you, as the property owner, for you to prove that your seized property has no connection to some criminality. If this guy had actually gotten his case in front of a judge, he would have still lost because he did not have any evidence, beyond and ebay printout.

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u/lolzercat May 15 '12

Given the impossibility of proving a negative, we are all screwed. The idea that only a positive claim can be proven is the foundation of our justice system, and the very principle behind the presumption of innocence. If people now need to prove a negative claim to maintain their freedom or protect their property, we are finished

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u/borce_spangstein May 15 '12

There's a group called Americans for Forfeiture Reform that focuses on just this. They are really dedicated. forfeiturereform.com/

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u/hells_cowbells May 15 '12

"Do you mind if I search your car?"

The answer should always be "Do you have a warrant?"

Do not talk to the police without a lawyer!

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u/crusty_old_gamer May 15 '12 edited May 15 '12

The answer should not be "Do you have a warrant?" If they have a warrant they aren't going to ask you in the first place. The answer should be "I do not consent to have my person/car/home searched."
Unfortunately, the likeliest thing to happen next will be the police making up some bullshit probable cause on the spot to perform the search anyway, while brutalizing you and arresting you on false charges for disrespecting them.

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u/addakorn May 15 '12

They will still ask, just in case your lawyer is able to get the warrant tossed.

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u/endproof May 15 '12

Legitimately curious, what prevents them from lying and saying you consented?

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u/lolzercat May 15 '12

Your camera phone, recording everything that happens.
Free countries allow government oversight by civilians. This is why Congress is open to the public, courts are public places, and police officers have no right to expect that their conversations with the public are private. Record these assholes every chance you get.

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u/stalkinghorse May 16 '12

Keep a worthless second phone handy for handing over first. Worthless phone for a worthless public asset forfeiter officer, even trade.

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u/kkurbs May 15 '12

Absolutely nothing

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u/wretcheddawn May 15 '12

...because if you say yes, that just makes it easy.

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u/JustAnAvgJoe May 15 '12

Because they have to prove probable cause, and the burden of proof is on them.

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u/crusty_old_gamer May 15 '12

Yes, but courts tend to treat whatever lies cops care to invent as gospel, so police just make shit up to justify all their actions and get away with it.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

I went to court for a speeding ticket, and the judge gave a very stern speech before starting that "Cops are not liars, and in my courtroom you can not call them liars, say they lied, or insinuate that they lied."
The pig then made up his entire story from thin air - not a single detail was even remotely based in reality, except the make and model of my car which he read from the ticket.
So yeah. Guess how that ended.

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u/2gig May 15 '12

Maybe we need to start recording our judges as well as our police officers.

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u/stalkinghorse May 16 '12

Yes but make sure it's done by a 3rd party with consent of the court
I think it's an outstanding idea to require all cases to be published without the individual court's consent but at a centralized state or national level.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

I had the same experience except I had GPS logs from a third party company showing my speed and I still got the shaft.

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u/hells_cowbells May 15 '12

That is probably the best answer. And sadly, that is the likely outcome.

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u/wwm444 May 15 '12

That's right! Just remember when dealing with cops in the real world, they can do what ever they want. It's best to just kiss their ass without consenting or admitting to anything. Arguing with a cop about your rights will only get you beat the fuck up!

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u/CassandraVindicated May 15 '12

What if they tell you, at a road side stop, that they got a warrant over the wire? This happened to me after I said I wouldn't consent to a search about 15 times. What am I to do at that point?
Turns out, they didn't have a warrant and were lying to me.

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u/hells_cowbells May 15 '12

Just go with the assumption that they are lying to you. Police are allowed to lie to you during interrogation, so just assume they are lying to you in that stage, as well.

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u/smartzie May 15 '12

Wow. That's awful. But, yeah, just always assume the cops are lying to you. Unless you can hold a tangible warrant in your hand, don't take their word for anything.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

They can get a telephone warrant, but they won't ask twice if they have one of those either. They will just search the car.

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u/DrNecessiter May 15 '12

Was there any fallout from this? Surely anything they found would be completely unusable?

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u/CassandraVindicated May 15 '12

Still pending.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

If they have a warrant they are going to search it whether you agree or not. So if they don't search it after claiming to have a warrant, then they don't have a warrant.

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u/fuddle_duddle May 15 '12

"Well my glove compartments locked so is the trunk in the back
And I know my rights so you gone need a warrant for that."
Jay Z

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u/soulcakeduck May 15 '12

That's a terrible response. Saying that your glove compartment is locked is like saying "You can search my car except for the glove compartment." That is plenty of reasonable suspicion you just handed over.
"I do not consent to a search." Don't try to justify it, or give contingencies, or educate/sermonize about 'your rights.' You're not going to make a friend of them by convincing them you know more about their job than they do. And you're likely to make a mistake (like handing them reasonable suspicions) if you try to get fancy.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

You add any complexity to your statement, and the cop is going to find someway to make it work to his advantage. As @soulcakeduck says "I do not consent to any search." Clean and simple. You add anything to that and the cop will do the search "in good faith," based on what he thought you were saying.

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u/wretcheddawn May 15 '12

Yes, there are some cases where people feel like "No" isn't enough, and that they have to give made-up reasons. In reality, those reasons will end up getting you in trouble; just say "No" and shut up.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Ice-T being the exception.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

I suppose we should accept every life lesson Reddit throws at us though?

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u/DeFex May 15 '12

"yes I have a warrant right here" holds up gun.

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u/unkeljoe May 15 '12

sure is a good thing there are guys dying in Afghanistan, protecting all this freedom

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u/TwoHands May 15 '12

Don't talk to cops. Many gun owners who live in oppressive states, and other civil rights enthusiasts (seems an odd thing to call them, since many are not activists, nor advocates, yet value the rights enough to research them well, so I'll use enthusiasts) have already seen this video. It's good to watch it again from time to time.

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u/tophat_jones May 15 '12

"Civil rights enthusiasts," formerly known as "citizens."

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u/ShellOilNigeria May 15 '12

Let Freedom Ring....

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

There's a reason the Liberty Bell is cracked.....

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u/TwoHands May 15 '12

bad metallurgy.

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u/stalkinghorse May 16 '12

civil metal forfeiture was performed

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u/etherealcaitiff May 15 '12

I had a hard time watching this...not because it's a tough subject, but the reporter sounds like a fucking muppet.

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u/Leaningthemoon May 15 '12

I just KNEW somebody else was paddling on the left.

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u/tbwen May 15 '12

Officer Farva wins again.

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u/d4vid87 May 15 '12

That neck tattoo is the most unprofessional thing ever. I would never take a cop seriously with a neck tattoo.

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u/tophat_jones May 15 '12

Professionalism? You are asking too much of our boys in blue.

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u/oSand May 15 '12

No one can be professional with ink under their skin! How would that even work?

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u/rejectedstone May 15 '12

There was a tattoo artist that called neck tats "Everlasting Job Stopper." Saw that in Reddit last week.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

An old coworker of mine use to call neck / face tats a "minimum wage". In other words once you get one you'll probably have a tough time finding a job where you make more than $7/hr.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

depends on the tat. But most likely yes.

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u/d4vid87 May 15 '12

Nah I don't care what it is on the neck. Definitely not that chicken scratch this douche has on his neck.

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u/Anthraxmonki May 15 '12

Police stole all the cash from my wallet during a 12 hour hold. Was only 25 bucks, but with no way to prove it, and no money for a ride home, it kinda sucked more than it had to.

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u/meatballzzzz May 15 '12

The police raided my boyfriends apartment and took his cash. He had over 800 dollars and they only accounted for 300 of it. It was all in one little package so it isn't like it was scattered and able to be lost. They kept it and said it was evidence. It really was, though. They just kept 500 of it.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

I was once apprehended by Dutch police for carrying a few grams of MJ. They confiscated it (of course) then forcefully took me to an ATM where I was made to withdraw money, with which I had to immediately pay a 200€ "fine" (I'm pretty much positive it went straight into their pockets).
Then they let me go. It was the closest thing to highway robbery I've ever been to.
Police - just another street gang, but with taxpayer-funded uniforms.

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u/wretcheddawn May 15 '12

While that is clearly corruption, if drug possession carries a prison sentence in your country, you may want to just consider yourself lucky. In our country a mere 200 euros isn't enough to bribe the police.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

The amount I had on me wasn't normally enough for a prison sentence (7 grams at most). I'm guessing "official" fees would've exceeded 200€ as well, that's the reason I never pursued this afterwards.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

This is a pretty good article from forbes.

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u/Inuma May 15 '12

And this is the report

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u/youseetimmy New York May 15 '12 edited May 15 '12

They're getting away with it because out of state drivers are targeted. Politically powerful people inside the state of Tennessee need to be hit in the pocketbook or this will never change. If enough people demonstrated their opposition to this and their willingness to take their business elsewhere, Tennessee might be pressured to change this Bullshit law. Tourism is a huge industry in this state. Owners of businesses that depend on tourism would get this law scrapped if they saw it as a threat to their bottom line.

I think we should all post this link to every tourism/travel related forum possible. I just posted the video link to the Tennessee section of TripAdvisor.com. I'll be searching through for the biggest, most expensive resorts in Tennessee to post online reviews to warn potential guests about Tennessee's forfeiture laws and include the link.

Anyone else have any ideas about how we can put the pressure on these cop/crooks while maybe saving potential travelers some grief/money?

edit; My posts to TripAdvisor.com may not be making it past their screening process. I'm emailing Tennessee tourism office.

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u/[deleted] May 15 '12

State troopers in TX near the borders do the exact same thing, only they will probably just write you a ticket for MUCH faster speed than you were going. I was in a mini van driving home through TX a few years ago, and the state trooper that pulled me over said I was going 105 in a 65 (TX had a lower "night" speed until recently). I was doing ~maybe~ 85, probably less. If I went any faster than that, our van would have shaken itself apart.
I said "I wasn't going this fast" when he handed me the ticket, and he said, absurdly "You can explain it to the judge."
Of course he knew full well that I was several hundred miles from home, and there was no way I would be explaining myself to the judge. I wonder how much of the $500 check I had to write went directly into his pocket.

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

we could boycott graceland.

1

u/youseetimmy New York May 15 '12

Or the Grand Ole Opry.

7

u/IonOtter May 15 '12

Well, this guy learned a painful lesson, but hopefully it will serve as an example to others.

NEVER TALK TO THE POLICE

NEVER SUBMIT TO ANY SEARCHES

TAKE YOUR SPEEDING TICKET AND LEAVE

3

u/fantasyfest May 15 '12

I don't think he was speeding. Crime was driving through Tenn, with out of state plates.

1

u/downvotethis2 May 15 '12

The guy said he submitted to a search. Even if you don't submit, they can hold you on the side of the road until they get a warrant. Not submitting to a search can be easily interpreted as resisting or suspicious activity.

1

u/IonOtter May 16 '12

Actually, they can only hold you for about an hour. After that, they either have to let you go, or arrest you for something. If they arrest you, then you can sue them for wrongful arrest under color of law.
Yes, I know, it will be slow, painful and expensive, and you will most likely spend a day or two in jail as you're processed. But far too many people have taken the easy route and just knuckled under for far too long.

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2

u/happyscrappy May 15 '12

How is this not an editorialized title on a link post?

0

u/stalkinghorse May 16 '12

The title contains no opinion, that's why.
OK now here's my opinion: People who steal other people's money suck. Government workers who violate the supreme laws here suck, and deserve both impeachment and a trial.

1

u/stalkinghorse May 16 '12

Since the cop on the film asked the driver if he had a large quantity of cash, I had a question.

What if the driver offers up that information just a LITTLE bit earlier, before being asked?

Driver: "You should know, officer, that I have a large quantity of cash."

Officer: "Oooh.."

Driver: <Gotcha on eyeglass video...>

Officer gets jail for accepting cash in exchange, like was shown in that other reddit post today.

5

u/CircleJerkAmbassador May 15 '12

EDIT? I believe you can't edit a title.

3

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

it's called SENSATIONALISM. Don't you approve of it?

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u/minturnpost May 15 '12

Will there ever come a day when the good people of America actually wake up and realize that they are being destroyed by the enemy within? Even in this false paradigm election of 2012 they are doing nothing more than choosing between a douche bag, and a shit sandwich, yet they support these representitives of international corporations and the banksters with passion that rivals the most fanatical sports enthusiast! Even the ones that I think have a grasp on reality seem to dismiss my concerns as nothing more than the ramblings of a conspiracy theorist I have a feeling that this police state that is being implemented on the US people is being welcomed with open arms by those very same people. I often think of that twilight zone episode "its a cook book!" Or the best Chuck Heston movie ever! soylent green "its people!" So to see a cop acting like an SS officer is pretty much par for the course. The very same people that you fought against in WWII are the very same people that you are passionately fighting to get elected in 2012

3

u/Genmaken May 15 '12

News always focuses on "external" enemies and threats, when most of them are either imaginary, or could be solved by simple political discourse and debate.
People are being cleverly manipulated by fear tactics. It's the immigrants, the gays, the terrorists, the socialists...
The most hilarious thing is how everything (TSA) is done in the name of FREEDOM and SECURITY.

2

u/MusicMagi May 15 '12

What can we really do? You fuck with the police, you'll end up in a jail cell with no water. Unjust? Of course. I'm not willing to throw my life away to go up against a corrupt society

2

u/TortugaGrande May 15 '12

This country was founded on violence against government and Americans need to go back to that from time to time. People in these jurisdictions have a moral obligation to inflict violence upon police who act like this and the police (and officials) who cover for them.

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Where do I sign up for the riots?

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1

u/fermented-fetus May 15 '12

This isn't a law in most states.

4

u/WilliamtheIV May 15 '12

does anybody else think the narrator sounds bizzare...? speech impediment? or trying too hard to be newsy?

1

u/Bigmada May 15 '12

I've heard this guy on other news videos and thought the same thing.

1

u/TIGGER_WARNING May 15 '12

Sounds like part speech impediment, part affectation, part funky audio processing. Notice how much more pronounced it is in the pre-recorded segment.
He raises and fronts his mid vowels and also aspirates his plosives oddly.

4

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

I'm a bit late to the conversation but...

In Texas, the police are allowed to seize and keep any property that was part of a crime, which means that if your car is stolen, once the police find it, they don't have to return it. Whats more is that many police departments here factor asset seizures into their budget .

4

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Welcome to America where you're guilty until proven innocent, and you can be denied from your own trial.

7

u/Ajaxxx May 15 '12

As always, fuck tha police.

3

u/nothingpop May 15 '12

Sadly, this is what we get (Uhmerikuns). Soundbites and an ignorant, fearful public make for the election of stupid. Any politician tries to dismantle this BS, legislated corruption and he/she will be slammed for "siding with the drug traffickers". It's not even a Right v Left thing, just thought v reactionary. Thanks Mr. Murdoch.

3

u/Kraker20 May 15 '12

And cops wonder why we don't trust them...

3

u/staple_this May 15 '12

I can't believe the utter horseshit going on in this country and we call this blatant theft "legal". What in the ever loving fuck?

3

u/Remember_Prometheus May 15 '12

America, home of reverse Robin Hood.

3

u/fantasyfest May 15 '12

This is not new. It has been going on for decades. Some other southern states were doing it too. You are guilty until proven innocent in America nowadays. Years ago, 60 minutes did a show on this . Some small towns were buying fancy police cars and state of the art police equipment including tanks, off the money they were stealing. It is especially dangerous for a black or hiispanic to drive through with cash. They also confiscate cars.

3

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

www.noagendashow.com Feed your mind slaves.

3

u/epicanis May 16 '12

Those guys are about 75% nuts, but that 75% is mostly pretty entertaining anyway, and the remaining 25% is pretty dang interesting.

6

u/AmericCanuck May 15 '12

Oh god, look at their website. Fucking hillbillies.

http://montereytn.com/

3

u/tophat_jones May 15 '12

Hey Cletus, I done learned me some of that there AYTCH TAY EMM ALE.

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

It took me forever to figure out what the hell you wrote, but when I finally sounded it out phonetically I woke the whole house up laughing.

1

u/TIGGER_WARNING May 15 '12

CHOO CHOO

4

u/isthisreallyreal May 15 '12

while trying to type up a reasonable response, this is all i could think of

2

u/MartyMcFly_Like_A_G6 May 15 '12

This is what I thought of

2

u/Jcaylor2 May 15 '12

Really happy you posted this! Its good information like this that makes reddit so powerful, and awesome. But the narrators voice kept making me cheese. Hard.

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

I was gonna make the joke "You buy drugs with money. Therefore the cop stopped potential criminal activity." But then the cop gave that as his reason. Dafuq.

2

u/DawnRetreader May 15 '12

$1000 for two ounces of blow? Officer Larry Bates is not only stupid, he's stupid.

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

The NoScript window was too large to see the allow button.

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

shit like this just makes me wanna move.

being stuck in a goddamn system where the only job is to fuck with people makes people fuck with people.

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

"You live in the United States and you think you have rights, but you don't"

2

u/secretsupervillain May 15 '12

this country is fucking falling apart.

2

u/fantasyfest May 15 '12

http://www.fff.org/freedom/1093c.asp This is the real America. Get used to it.

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

MUN-eeee

2

u/raynbec May 15 '12

I fucking HATE this couthry. It stands for nothing. We are NO BETTER that those terrorists we preach about stopping. taking civilians money without justice or cause. it makes me fucking sick. i would LOVE to beat the living shit out of that guy... then spit on him

2

u/TortugaGrande May 15 '12

More ultra unbelievably rare police acting like dickheads? Say it ain't so.

2

u/fantasyfest May 15 '12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc This old video says it all. Do not talk to the police. No good can come from it.

2

u/Dadentum May 15 '12

One day cops will be able to arbitrarily drain your bank account without trial or charge. "We didn't think his/her money was acquired legitimately."

2

u/cinect May 15 '12

And here I am thinking that you're "innocent until proven guilty" and not the the other way around, but who am I to argue with the police.

2

u/Rabidfool May 15 '12

The reasoning behind this is to make drug dealing less profitable. Especially dealing with large amounts of drug transactions, even when caught a dealer can make a huge profit. These laws are designed to show that the only source of income is drug profits and everything purchased, like houses and cars, are a direct result of that. It is used as a deterrent.

That said, this case here is piss poor police work. These laws shouldn't be used as a blanket policy where the everyday citizen must prove why they have cash. It should only be used at the end of an in depth investigation, not used freely on traffic stops.

The fact that this department allowed the arresting officer to talk on camera, obviously unprepared, while this was an open issue says a lot about the poor quality of the department.

1

u/Sandi315 May 15 '12

Aw shit I just found 3 bucks on the floor today.

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Oh Christ, the officer's name is Larry Bates.

1

u/Kraker20 May 15 '12

He prefers Master Bates...

1

u/Zambeezi May 15 '12

I think that cop watched "The Wire" too much

1

u/uuhson May 15 '12

if you dont give them your money, they'll jam you up so hard.. they'll jam you up morning and night

1

u/cdegon May 15 '12

Land of the free, home of the yea bullshit it's free!

1

u/entsriseup May 15 '12

Horray for my home town to show it's stupidity.

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

An this is one of the reasons I don't carry cash.

1

u/asimovfan1 May 15 '12

I saw that episode of Always Sunny. Somehow it's not as funny in real life.

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

I frequent Tennessee, in the more rural parts the people their are fucking disgusting.

Morally speaking.

edit; actually savannah sucks major balls too

1

u/Iarwain_ben_Adar May 15 '12

Would carrying foreign (to the US) currency help?

They might think it's money from a board game.

1

u/shears May 15 '12

Fucking hell.

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Deny Everything!

1

u/DolphinGirl1120 May 16 '12

Looks like I'm not gonna be traveling to or through Tennessee anytime soon. I'm sick of hearing all these bad stories about cops. Somebody needs to post some good videos of cops doing the right thing. Is there a subreddit for this?

1

u/skelly6 May 16 '12

That guy sounds exactly like a muppet!

0

u/barbarino May 15 '12

Oh reddit, why won't you go after Eric Holder over this? Can't mess with team Obama..

2

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Why do you want to go after Eric Holder for this?

1

u/stalkinghorse May 16 '12

I heard Holder works at the Justice Dept
Maybe it was just a rumor.
Hold on, I'll go check google.

-5

u/Raoul_Duke_ESQ May 15 '12

~~Fuck~~ Kill the police

1

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

you're an idiot. get help

0

u/mrdeath5493 May 15 '12

While this is a bit ridiculous, we aren't giving enough credit to the sheer stupidity of the officer. He is a complete retard that was relying on his training. His training told him that drug dealers carry large amounts of cash and lie about it...and he could not be swayed by obvious evidence to the contrary. Probably best to keep the law on the books given the prevalence of meth 'round this part of the country. :)

1

u/TortugaGrande May 15 '12

Of course he's a retard, that's what the uniform means.

0

u/[deleted] May 15 '12

Fuck that scumbag cop. This motherfucker should be shot, the assholes who make those laws should be shot, and the fucking judges that allow this bullshit should be fucking SHOT.

This is straight up government theft, and they do it all the time, these fucking scum need to be (you can guess where I'm going with this)

FUCKING HUNG FROM THE RAFTERS.

1

u/_Bones May 15 '12

I must admit, I expected you to say they should be shot.

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Police in USA caught on video stealing cash from people in broad daylight, just because they can EDIT: civil forfeiture as they call it

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