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Worcester County DA keeping uncharged people's money
By perruptor on Thu, 08/19/2021 - 7:56pm
ProPublica and WBUR investigated the Civil Asset Forfeiture practices of Worcester County DA Joseph D. Early Jr.
Massachusetts is an outlier among states when it comes to civil forfeiture laws. Prosecutors in the commonwealth are able to keep seized assets using a lower legal bar than in any other state.
WBUR took an in-depth look at Worcester County, which ranks among the top counties for forfeitures in the state. An examination of all forfeitures filed there in 2018 found that of the hundreds of incidents, nearly 1 in 4 — or 24% — had no accompanying drug conviction or criminal drug case filing.
So, people not charged with crimes are having their money and property confiscated.
In more than 500 instances between 2016 and 2019, WBUR found that funds had been in the custody of the [Worcester County] DA’s office for a decade or more before officials had attempted to notify people and give them a chance to get their money back. One case dated back to 1990.
There's a lot more meat to the article. It's worth reading.
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Comments
Leave Joe Early Alone
He worked his way up from his dad being DA for about 463 years to him being DA. His dad was DA for so long that I think he prosecuted rum runners.
The County crap in Massachusetts can be unbelievable. Did you know that the Plymouth County Board of Commissions (Republican Heavy), got $90Million (Dollars, Not Lira) for Covid Relief?
Be careful down ballot all. It is where the weasels feed:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/04/29/metro/how-did-plymouth-county-end...
Call it what it is
In many cases, "civil asset forfeiture" is just a euphemism for strong arm robbery.
Nobody in the legal system should be allowed to keep anything they seize for themselves or their agency. They should have to turn it all over to the state general fund. If they can't keep and spend what they take from people then there is less motivation for abuse and theft.
That seems to be the case
That seems to be the case here