Pubdate: Sat, 25 Jan 2003 Source: Jonesboro Sun, The (AR) Copyright: 2003, The Jonesboro Sun Contact: http://www.jonesborosun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1825 Author: Deanna Winters Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/af.htm (Asset Forfeiture) PROPERTY RIGHTS HAVE BEEN LOST Mass confiscation has become politically fashionable. Politicians and the courts have created an overwhelming presumption in favor of the government's right to seize control over private land, private homes, boats, cars and even the cash in people's wallets. While the dispute over property rights is often portrayed as merely an economic contest, the power of government officials to seize private property directly subjugates citizens to the capricious will of those officials. Once upon a time, possession was nine-tenths of the law. Nowadays, gossip is sometimes nine-tenths of possession. Thousands of American citizens are being stripped of their property on the basis of rumors and unsubstantiated assertions made by the government's confidential informants. The Justice Department's 1992 annual report on asset seizures declared, "no property may be seized unless the government has probable cause to believe that it is subject to forfeiture." In reality, government officials are seizing people's property based solely on "hearsay" -- rumors and gossip -- from anonymous informants. (Hearsay evidence is held in such low esteem in the American judicial system that it cannot be introduced into criminal proceedings.) Police routinely refuse to reveal their source of a rumor about the forfeiture target. Some policemen have likely invented anonymous informants to give them a pretext to take what they covet. Everybody needs a good attorney. Deanna Winters Harrisburg - --- MAP posted-by: Beth