A city attorney in New Mexico explains how the police can take people’s houses away, even if they didn’t commit any crime under state law:
Scary stuff. What he’s describing is known as “equitable sharing.” A state police department teams up with a federal law enforcement agency and can then seize property for a violation of federal law. Even though a state has made selling marijuana legal under state law, it’s still illegal under federal law.
What’s more concerning about the video is the flippant attitude towards seizing property of people who have only been charged with a crime.
No drugs, no problem:
In many cases, the seized property belongs to someone not involved in criminal activity. Here’s how the police departments and city attorneys get around that “snag.”
You would hope that the police and the city attorneys would take their obligation to serve the public seriously, and not let their unchecked power intoxicate them… but…
I think that says it all.
Sam began his legal career at one of the largest law firms in Florida, working directly for national insurance companies and health care conglomerates. This valuable experience gives him a definitive edge in knowing how insurers will fight against compensating you for your claim. He then moved to one of the top statewide plaintiff’s firms, gaining insight into insurance coverage and insurance bad faith matters. He joined with Brett Metcalf to begin Metcalf Harden in 2014. Sam is a member of the Florida Justice Association, the American Association for Justice, the Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association, and the Hillsborough County Bar Association. He is licensed to practice in all Florida state courts, as well as the federal Middle District of Florida. Sam lives in Lutz with his wife Kristin, a Tampa native, and son Robbie.
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