Texas police shake down drivers, lawsuit claims

[Twin Fist]

again with the theory vs reality thing

yeah, in theory you can walk around with your life savings in cash

here on planet reality, no one does that. No one deals in large sums of cash anymore.

And if you are, you are stupid for doing so since the risk of loss, etc whatever

But we do know WHO deals in cash and nothing but cash

druggies

Well, banks know that too. Carol is right, try to walk into a bank with more than 10K in cash, see what happens.

 

[Archangel M]

I'll be open minded enough to think that its possible that there is a shake down going on...but without proof Its just as likely that there isnt.

That CNN story isnt enough to make me jump in either direction.

 

[Carol]

a

Well, banks know that too. Carol is right, try to walk into a bank with mroe than 10K in cash, see what happens.

5K in cash, actually. Got lowered to 5K from 10K after 9/11 (at least up here).

 

[Sukerkin]

It's a bit of a tangent to the topic but the flip-side is also true - try drawing out a lot of cash from a bank and see what happens. Not all that many years ago, I tried to draw a few thousand from my account for the private purchase of a car - the bank wouldn't give me my 'own' money!

 

[Twin Fist]

well, quick survey

Who here has more than 1000 in cash on thier persons, or even in thier home for that matter?

 

[Sukerkin]

Not me !

 

[blindsage]

I'm going to conjecture that we have both drug runners and corrupt cops here. Circumstantial evidence (i.e. large sums of cash on a known, major drug route) would indicate that at least some of these are drug runners, but the fact that the cops in the town are stopping them, confiscating the money and jewelry, threatening them, not charging them, and letting them go without the money/jewelry, etc. is a strong indicator that they are shaking down the drug runners for the money because they think they can get away with it. I don't feel any compassion for a drug runner who gets shaken down, but the cops have laws they are obliged to abide by regardless of who their dealing with. It also doesn't speak to the towns favor that people with $50K hired lawyers and got their money back.

 

[Archangel M]

I'm going to conjecture that we have both drug runners and corrupt cops here. Circumstantial evidence (i.e. large sums of cash on a known, major drug route) would indicate that at least some of these are drug runners, but the fact that the cops in the town are stopping them, confiscating the money and jewelry, threatening them, not charging them, and letting them go without the money/jewelry, etc. is a strong indicator that they are shaking down the drug runners for the money because they think they can get away with it. I don't feel any compassion for a drug runner who gets shaken down, but the cops have laws they are obliged to abide by regardless of who their dealing with. It also doesn't speak to the towns favor that one of the complaintants went to court and got their money back.

Yup..thats possible too. A number of vice cops are in federal pens for doing exactly that.

 

[Thesemindz]

Then the general position would seem to be that just carrying money is reason enough for the government to take it away from me.

Ok.


-Rob

 

[elder999]

"they took my 6000 in cash i was carrying"

who the hell carries 6K in CASH???

I carry nearly that much, from time to time. :shrug:

 

[blindsage]

Then the general position would seem to be that just carrying money is reason enough for the government to take it away from me.

Ok.


-Rob

No. I think you got a couple of arguments stating that reality isn't as simple as saying "I have the freedom to carry legal tender". No one said the government can just take your money because you're carrying cash. The point is that if you're on a road in Texas with a high level of drug traffic from Mexico and you are carrying a large sum of cash, then they have probable cause to check you out. No one is saying the government is then free to take your money and your SOL even if you aren't a drug runner. That's not really even in the range of what people are saying.

 

[Thesemindz]

I carry nearly that much, from time to time. :shrug:

Show off.


-Rob

 

[Twin Fist]

That may be possible, I certainly dont buy the story as presented.

I'm going to conjecture that we have both drug runners and corrupt cops here. Circumstantial evidence (i.e. large sums of cash on a known, major drug route) would indicate that at least some of these are drug runners, but the fact that the cops in the town are stopping them, confiscating the money and jewelry, threatening them, not charging them, and letting them go without the money/jewelry, etc. is a strong indicator that they are shaking down the drug runners for the money because they think they can get away with it. I don't feel any compassion for a drug runner who gets shaken down, but the cops have laws they are obliged to abide by regardless of who their dealing with. It also doesn't speak to the towns favor that people with $50K hired lawyers and got their money back.

 

[arnisador]

who the hell carries 6K in CASH???

I carry nearly that much, from time to time. :shrug:

Hey, elder999 is Gov. Eliot Spitzer!!!

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Hey, elder999 is Gov. Eliot Spitzer!!!

I dunno about that but he's (Elder) more popular in NY than Spitzers replacement is.


Maybe the issue is that little town can't fathom anyone having cash today?

 

[Bill Mattocks]

The point is that if you're on a road in Texas with a high level of drug traffic from Mexico and you are carrying a large sum of cash, then they have probable cause to check you out.

A) No, that's not probable cause.

B) How would the police know how much cash a person has on them unless they either had the motorist's permission or had a search warrant? The only way is if they had PC to make an apprehension - and you can't do the search to get the PC to do the search.

C) If I ever carried that much cash on me, I'd certainly not advertise it here, or anywhere.

D) I think a lot of you folks have no idea how many people deal in strictly cash. I went through a long period of time in which I had terrible credit. I was on the 'national bad check registry' and could not even open a checking account, not even at a local credit union. I cashed my paychecks and paid my bills with money orders I purchased at the grocery store. The rest was in cash on me. When I bought a used car, I paid cash for it, about $3,000. There is an entire strata of citizens who live like I did then. Some by choice and some because they have little choice.

E) In any case, cash is still legal. Having a large amount of it on you without any other information is evidence of no crime. It's PC of nothing.

I would *LOVE* to be pulled over, searched illegally, and have my cash confiscated from me because it 'proves I'm a drug dealer'. Come get me - I want to own your house and rent out my big building where your broke-dick cop shop used to be.

PS - And yes, I feel free to steer clear of Texas. I've had a bellyful of Texans ruining my former home of Colorado. Not content with making a crap-hole of their own state, they come to the high country and shoot farmer's cows, thinking they're elk.

 

[Twin Fist]

where exactly are you a member of the bar?

 

[Archangel M]

I would actually have to agree with Bill on that point..carrying large sums of cash is not typically PC in and of itself. You can carry as much cash as you wish as long as you are not crossing borders or entering the country (then a $10K limit applies)...

However it is a common indicator of drug trafficking and will get some additional scrutiny from LEO's. I agree with Blindsages intent of his post though..some people are just unfamiliar with the differences between reasonable suspicion and probable cause.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Updated

(CNN) -- Authorities who seized $8,500 and assorted jewelry from a Tennessee man after a traffic stop in east Texas have agreed to return the property after his case drew attention from CNN.

Roderick Daniels said police in Tenaha, Texas, took the money in October 2007 after they stopped him for doing 37 mph in a 35-mph zone. He said police threatened him with money-laundering charges and promised not to prosecute if he signed over the cash, which Daniels said was to buy a new car.


Daniels and other motorists who have been stopped by Tenaha police are part of a lawsuit seeking to end what plaintiff's lawyer David Guillory calls a systematic fleecing of drivers passing through the town of about 1,000. On Friday, after Shelby County District Attorney Lynda Russell refused repeated requests to discuss cases like Daniels' with CNN, her office filed papers dropping its claim on his property.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/05/06/texas.police.seizures/index.html

 

[Twin Fist]

oh, just another little tidbit

the lawyer that is suing Tenaha? turns out he is known as a "lawsuit lawyer" here in town. In fact, I know his partner in his practice. Another lawyer named Darren Burtan.

He is currently a county attourney as well as still operating his private practice, is a very politically active democrat. Couple of years ago, he sued the electric company down here for supposedly over charging customers. It was widely considered a nuisance suit.

His rep locally is that of a very liberal, but more or less honest lawyer. he LOVES civil rights cases, and doesnt trust the police. Ever.

Now, I am not fronting, the local cops are hardasses, and I am sure that tenaha is no different, but at best, this story is half true, half BS.

I do know that in Tenaha , you WILL get pulled over for ANYTHING you do wrong.