Carry too much $ the police will take it!!!!

[JonathanD]

http://www.journalgazette.net/articl...29940/-1/ENT06

WOW.............Just WOW....

[Joe Gress]

Jeeze, I'm so broke they would end up giving me money.

[AlembicPlayer]

it's called highway robbery...it's as old as the hills

[doctorjazz]

That's just how we roll these days in Amerika.

I love that they acted like the guy was telling conflicting stories about how he got the money because he said it was to buy a car, and then said it was from working various jobs. Am I the only one to realize that those stories are not contradictory?

[Kenbuntu]

yeah I booked that too. And as for the passenger not knowing about the cash. Well, NO %@!&. He doesn't own the car. Do you know what's in the boot of your buddy's car (most of the time)? no. Law enforcement down there has to shape up. That or include a basic Logic test sometime BEFORE a person becomes a copper.

[hbarcat]

Though officers held the two men for a short time in squad cars, they were eventually released without charges, save for the driver receiving a citation for driving with a suspended license.

And the money? The police kept it.

Having that much cash is not a crime, but police have the right to seize it if they suspect it has been used or procured through criminal means. Most of the money seized comes from drug cases and can then be used by various law enforcement agencies.


If the money is legitimately yours, then you have the right to demand it back and you have the means to get it back within the law. Most of the people walking away from the money are abandoning drug money or other illegitimate money.

Of course the system isn't perfect.

[Brad Johnson]

Funny, I was thinking about this late last night on my way home from a gig. I had completed a deal with a friend for a bass earlier in the day and he'd given me $1500 in twenties.


I don't like carrying cash around... so I usually don't.

[unclekebm]

In Vegas you can get thrown in jail if you don't have at least $10.00 in your pocket...

[mkrtu9]

glad I'm broke

[KingCrimson]

Originally Posted by unclekebm

In Vegas you can get thrown in jail if you don't have at least $10.00 in your pocket...

huh explain

[gold_member_321]

Glad I keep my money on a debit. I don't carry any cash on me, unless I know exactly where I'm going and what I'm buying.

[UnsungZeros]

It's a wonderful state of affairs that money can be seized without probable cause. Even better is that it becomes a civil matter in court and there is no presumption of innocence. Instead of the state trying to prove you're guilty, you have to prove and convince the court that the money was not obtained illegally. Then, MAYBE, if you're lucky, you'll get your money back.

[bassybill]

Originally Posted by hbarcat

If the money is legitimately yours, then you have the right to demand it back and you have the means to get it back within the law. Most of the people walking away from the money are abandoning drug money or other illegitimate money.

Exactly. I can't understand the problem with the confiscation arrangements. Can anyone imagine a situation where somebody could be driving around with a (legally acquired) sum like $26k and then not be able to explain satisfactorily how they got it or make a legitimate claim for its return?

[unclekebm]

Originally Posted by KingCrimson

huh explain

I don't know how to explain other than...

A few years ago I spent a night in the slammer...
as i was talking with my new friends I found out 4 "laws" that I had no idea existed;
1. obstructing the flight of a pigeon can get you thrown in jail
2. defacing a cheeseburger, throw your pickles on the ground, go to jail
3. mis-use of a bus stop, if you sit at a bus stop and don't get on the bus when it stops...citation
4. if you get stopped by the police and have empty pockets, they treat you as a vagrant which may or may not lead you to jail,
I was told at least $10.00

I think those are laws to keep the vagrants out of the mix, don't want to scare the cash slingin' tourists away...

OK, I know you're thinking, why where you in jail?
many moons ago, I blocked a guys punch, tagged his ear with a right,
he cried like a little beeatch and turned me in...
a few years later, i got in an auto accident, i had an unknown warrant out for my arrest.
after they released me, the judge gave me 100% of my bail back,
and apologized for wasting my time

anyway, Vegas is a screwed up freaky (in a bad, plasticy sorta way) place.

[Linas]

Gimme a friggin' break. I am not a fan of cops, but there is honestly no legitimate reason why an individual would be carrying $26K on his person. Im not saying what the cops did was right, but serious, no one deals with that much cash when making legitimate transactions. Weather it be left or right, every news agency is willing to spin a story and there are a million suckers to believe it...

[Intune]

CrimeThink.












Trust us, we're .gov

[ehque]

Originally Posted by doctorjazz

I love that they acted like the guy was telling conflicting stories about how he got the money becaus he said it was to buy a car, and then said it was from working various jobs. Am I the only one to realize that those stories are not contradictory?

Nope. This is kind of lame.

[Relic]

Hmmm.. mixed feelings about this one. While I do certainly agree that a large wad of cash with no explanation as to how it was come by is highly suspicious, I'd like to know where the line's drawn in regards to what constitutes "suspicious"? It seems like an almost arbitrary judgment call by the officer at the time. The possibility of abuse is a bit strong here, no?
-worked a few jobs for the money
-money was for a car
Stupid yes, but legitimate? Could be. That warrants taking the money?

For example, I sold a used car once. The guy wanted to pay in cash, whatever. I drove to his house, signed the title over, and my GF at the time drove me back with $3000 in hand. So if we got pulled over, I would then, based on an officer's opinion, be declared guilty or SOMETHING illegal if he decided that a '69 Olds 442 is not worth $3000? Then I would have to jump through hoops and get witnesses, paperwork etc etc to get it back? I dunno this sounds like a load of horse hockey to me. Guilty until proven innocent, no?
And I also find the idea of "well if you can prove it you'll get your money back" assinine...yeah getting money back from a bureaucracy, let's see how that goes. I remember having to get $100 back from my local municipal office. I was erroneously cited a ticket (got a speeding ticket and an additional charge was accidentally keyed in by some doofus at the municipal office) and still had to pay for it while they sorted it out. 2 years later 20 phone calls, 7 letters I finally got my money back.

[Brad Johnson]

Originally Posted by Relic

Hmmm.. mixed feelings about this one. While I do certainly agree that a large wad of cash with no explanation as to how it was come by is highly suspicious, I'd like to know where the line's drawn in regards to what constitutes "suspicious"? It seems like an almost arbitrary judgment call by the officer at the time. The possibility of abuse is a bit strong here, no?
-worked a few jobs for the money
-money was for a car
Stupid yes, but legitimate? Could be. That warrants taking the money?

For example, I sold a used car once. The guy wanted to pay in cash, whatever. I drove to his house, signed the title over, and my GF at the time drove me back with $3000 in hand. So if we got pulled over, I would then, based on an officer's opinion, be declared guilty or SOMETHING illegal if he decided that a '69 Olds 442 is not worth $3000? Then I would have to jump through hoops and get witnesses, paperwork etc etc to get it back? I dunno this sounds like a load of horse hockey to me. Guilty until proven innocent, no?
And I also find the idea of "well if you can prove it you'll get your money back" assinine...yeah getting money back from a bureaucracy, let's see how that goes. I remember having to get $100 back from my local municipal office. I was erroneously cited a ticket (got a speeding ticket and an additional charge was accidentally keyed in by some doofus at the municipal office) and still had to pay for it while they sorted it out. 2 years later 20 phone calls, 7 letters I finally got my money back.

I'd hope this at least partially addresses the question of why someone might have a large (how nebulous is that?) amount of cash.

In my case I'd have to go to court (and of course taking that time off is my expense) to explain why I'd have $1800 in twenties on me. Because of the guilty until innocent mentality some people have. Many may never understand until it actually happens to them.


For many people, cash is still king.

[coreyfyfe]

Originally Posted by UnsungZeros

It's a wonderful state of affairs that money can be seized without probable cause.

They had probable cause, a guy driving with a suspended license can't explain the money. Done. The article may simplify the case by taking short quotes from him, but the fact of the matter is that in order for them to take it they have to have something better than that in the police report. And as far as it being a civil case, all he would have to do is come up with proof that it was his money legally. If he got it from odd jobs, then that's a lot of un-reported income, and a lot of non-taxed payroll expenses someone is skipping out on, so he would be facing penalties anyways.

Relic, in your case all you would have to do is show a receipt or proof of sale, or transfer of title or something, most of which would probably have been easy for you to do since you had to sign the title over and all. And $3000 isn't a whole lot, so I doubt they would even say anything about it. Even if you didn't get a receipt at the time and they did decide to take your 3Gs, you can write something out on a piece of paper and have the guy sign it and you'd be golden.