Cops episode just illustrated alot of what's wrong with policing in the US

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

Civil Forfeiture
certain authorities can seize, keep or sell personal items that were involved in the perpetration of a crime...

So if like a drug dealer gets arrested dealing out of his house......pretty much the home, vehicles, electronics, weapons, etc... can generally be seized as civil forfeiture

What's really crazy, is they can even do this on mere suspicion, so you don't have to actually be convicted for this to happen
https://www.forbes.com/sites/realsp...eiture-a-civil-rights-violation/#14b8b40933ee

Wow. That’s fucked up.

If America’s had that all along what’s the point of RICO (or whatever it’s called)?

We have something slightly similar in Canada, but it’s use is much more limited, namely transporting more than $10k in cash internationally. But we definitely don’t have anything remotely similar to having a drunk driver forfeit ownership of their car, or a drug dealer losing their house for example.

 

[Rod1]

what was the conflicting account ?

So far no witness has testified about who started the fight and there have been conflicting accounts about who was on top during the fight. Selma Mora, another witness, testified Thursday that Zimmerman was on top of Martin in the moments before a gunshot ended the fight.

Mora told the court Thursday that at some point she saw a man in "patterns between black and red" on top, indicating Zimmerman.

"One of them was on the ground, and the other one was on top in position like a rider," Mora, who speaks Spanish, testified through a translator.

Mora told the court that after the shooting Zimmerman was pacing and putting his hands on his head, but didn't appear to have trouble walking and didn't stagger, or stumble.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/george-zimmerman-beaten-prosecution-witnesses/story?id=19517236

 

[Gregolian]

Wow. That’s fucked up.

If America’s had that all along what’s the point of RICO (or whatever it’s called)?

We have something slightly similar in Canada, but it’s use is much more limited, namely transporting more than $10k in cash internationally. But we definitely don’t have anything remotely similar to having a drunk driver forfeit ownership of their car, or a drug dealer losing their house for example.

RICO is to get organized crime so like the Mafia, groups like the Hell's Angels and such.

Basically, my layman understanding is if they can prove a group of people are a criminal organization and Joey shot and killed a man in the process of shaking them down to get protection money then Jimmy, Jerry, and John who are parts of the organization can go down for that crime as well even though they didn't pull the trigger themselves.

 

[HunterSdVa29]

Wow. That’s fucked up.

If America’s had that all along what’s the point of RICO (or whatever it’s called)?

We have something slightly similar in Canada, but it’s use is much more limited, namely transporting more than $10k in cash internationally. But we definitely don’t have anything remotely similar to having a drunk driver forfeit ownership of their car, or a drug dealer losing their house for example.

I think it's a relatively new process, as part of the whole increasing revenues for the department/city type thing (think traffic tickets being given out in lieu of stopping actual crimes in commission)

RICO is for charging conspirators as part of a criminal ring (If my memory of Scarface serves me correct haha), and gives leeway to link people from minor crimes to larger crimes through conspiracy, thereby increasing the chances they'll flip to save time

We also have the 10k in cash thing for flying internationally

 

[HunterSdVa29]

RICO is to get organized crime so like the Mafia, groups like the Hell's Angels and such.

Basically, my layman understanding is if they can prove a group of people are a criminal organization and Joey shot and killed a man in the process of shaking them down to get protection money then Jimmy, Jerry, and John who are parts of the organization can go down for that crime as well even though they didn't pull the trigger themselves.

Correct
I think it relates to the Felony Murder statute as well, which means you can be charged w/ murder if someone died in the act of you committing a felony

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

Correct
I think it relates to the Felony Murder statute as well, which means you can be charged w/ murder if someone died in the act of you committing a felony

We used to have that in Canada. We called it constructive murder, but the Supreme Court of Canada ruled it unconstitutional in 1992.

 

[Pickle Rick]

LOL@TS using a something from 1989 trying to apply it to 2017....yeah nothings changed right? lmao

 

[Gregolian]

Correct
I think it relates to the Felony Murder statute as well, which means you can be charged w/ murder if someone died in the act of you committing a felony

THAT one might be dependent on state from what little I know. At least the "degree" of murder you get charged with.

To @TheWorm

If you want to see an example of RICO being used look into the history of the mob. I think RICO is what was the downfall of the Gambino family.

In the fictional world, the first two seasons of Sons of Anarchy the group is being hounded by the ATF trying to use RICO. They don't explain it fully but you get the basics of how it works.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

you must be a very outstanding individual/citizen.

if one cop is being an asshole to you, then he may be an asshole.

if multiple cops being an asshole to you in separate/unrelated incidents, then you are the asshole.

You've obviously never been to Philly.

 

[djacobox372]

Don't get me confused for someone that sympathizes with BLM. Most of the sensationalized shootings I think were justified. Trayvon martin...Michael brown.

Now the big fat guy that got choked out for selling loosies was murdered imo and the cop should be in prison.

Considering Zimmerman's behavior post acquittal, are you still so sure about the Trayvon Martin shooting? It was really just his word against a dead guys... seems pretty likely that Zimmerman started the fight and then pulled his gun when he started losing--that's murder.

 

[ShadowRun]

Yes, and almost every interaction I've had with them has been negative. Usually over nothing.

Did u get it on video or take them to court for it ?

 

[Protectandserve]

well you're a Veteran, right? unless another poster in here said they were former military officer

Do the other Veteran cops in your precinct (or whatever the term is, apologize if incorrect) seem to be more calm under pressure than the regular, non vet/civilian LEO?
Or would you say you don't notice the difference?

I mean it depends on if the person was USN, USAF or USCG or reserves/nasty girl in comparison to active USMC or RA, but either way do you notice any difference between them? maybe marksmanship? the combatives/hand to hand combat/martials arts training? defensive driving? Detainee Handling procedures?

I'm genuinely curious, is all

I got out of the Guard as a CPT, took a break from the PD to do an Afghanistan deployment in 2013. I was a 35D, ran a SCIF and trained Afghan cops in CSI and forensics.

Most our vets are leaps and bounds more reliable across the board than our brand new cops.

Less panicky, better people skills, more confidant without being cocky.

 

[Kowboy Karl]

LOL@TS using a something from 1989 trying to apply it to 2017....yeah nothings changed right? lmao

No it hasn’t

Except occasionally these days we get lucky and a body cam or a civilian with a camera phone catches an incident that otherwise would just be another day in the life of cops abusing power.

 

[Culombo]

So far no witness has testified about who started the fight and there have been conflicting accounts about who was on top during the fight. Selma Mora, another witness, testified Thursday that Zimmerman was on top of Martin in the moments before a gunshot ended the fight.

Mora told the court Thursday that at some point she saw a man in "patterns between black and red" on top, indicating Zimmerman.

"One of them was on the ground, and the other one was on top in position like a rider," Mora, who speaks Spanish, testified through a translator.

Mora told the court that after the shooting Zimmerman was pacing and putting his hands on his head, but didn't appear to have trouble walking and didn't stagger, or stumble.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/george-zimmerman-beaten-prosecution-witnesses/story?id=19517236

this was after the shooting .. the other witness stated he saw trayvon on top of zimmerman while the struggle was going on, before he got shot

-Mary Cutcher was in her kitchen making coffee that night with her roommate, Selma Mora Lamilla. The window was open, she said.
"We heard a whining. Not like a crying, boohoo, but like a whining, someone in distress, and then the gunshot," she said.
They looked out the window but saw nothing. It was dark.
They ran out the sliding glass door, and within seconds, they saw Zimmerman.
"Zimmerman was standing over the body with -- basically straddling the body with his hands on Trayvon's back,"-

http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/30/justice/florida-teen-shooting-witnesses/index.html

 

[n...not crazy]

I remember when a naked guy escaped after being face down being controlled by like 5 cops. Of course they got him again, but it was fucking pathetic. I almost always side with the criminals. There was one cop standing on the guy's hand, lol. Yeah, solid control there cop guy.

 

[TheLastSpartan]

My 2 cents:

With the numerous documented incidents of blatant misconduct by cops in our current time, I can only imagine how bad shit must've been pre-social media and pre-advent of recording.

Things like the Serpico whistleblowing, Rodney King tape and subsequent acquittal of the cops in question, the Rampart scandal, Abner Louima incident etc...are simply small glances into the uncomfortable truth regarding the history of policing in this country.

There are many nefarious "open secrets" in our society (ie; Hollywood and pedophilia, gov't agencies participating in the drug trade etc).

Gross police misconduct is just another one of those "secrets".

I do believe mandatory bodycams are a step in the right direction.

 

[Cake4Breakfast]

Cop turns on his lights, you stop, or cop expects to have to fight you and his heart rate gets up past the rational point. Also, cops are going to carry a lot of anger towards drunk drivers, as they see the horror that results from that stupid selfish shit. The penalty for drunk driving should start at being put in a hole cell and being bombed with tear gas.

 

[Cake4Breakfast]

It's not about sympathy it's about the fact that we give an incredible amount of power to the police and they should act professional and respectful and consider the safety of the accused.


The police would rather inadvertently knock the teeth out of 1000 suspects by taking them down excessively hard than have 1 cop take a punch by underestimating a suspect.

They brag about putting their life on the line on a daily basis and yet try to eliminate all risk to themselves by treating all suspects like they are the terminator.

There are bad cops, of course, but people who run from cops are putting themselves in a dangerous position, as cops are human and if you get them agitated/freaked out by acting crazy, they are going to pump their nuts up for a fight and stop being as rational and considerate as they usually are. Put yourself in that situation, in real time, and be honest about your behavior.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

If I'm on a jury I never take a cop's word for something.


https://www.vox.com/policy-and-poli...034/lapd-police-plant-evidence-ronald-shields

Police officers can’t seem to stop filming themselves potentially planting evidence.

The latest incident comes from Los Angeles, where an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) accidentally filmed himself placing cocaine in a suspect’s wallet, according to a new report by CBS Los Angeles.

The body camera video shows police picking up Ronald Shields, who was charged with felony hit-and-run, having a gun in the trunk of his car, and cocaine possession in April. The police report claimed cops had found the cocaine in Shields’s left pocket.

The footage tells a different story. LAPD officer Gaxiola, as CBS Los Angeles identified him, picks up Shields’s wallet from the street and shows it to another officer who then points to Shields. Gaxiola then puts the wallet back down, picks up a small bag of white powder from the street (which later tested positive for cocaine), picks up the wallet, and puts the bag in the wallet.

The audio turns on, signaling that the officer had manually activated his camera to record. Then, the officer shows himself supposedly finding the wallet and the drugs inside of it, and repeatedly telling other officers about it. “Just to let you know, sir, inside his wallet, he has a little bag of narco,” Gaxiola said.

 

[Mark Cutting]

no, a Vet that is now LEO that shoots an unarmed suspect or beats some guy....

I don't think a vet did that combat roll into the kids pool party w/ his gun drawn in AZ, is my pt. Why? they have been trained better

The "unarmed" card is a non starter in most cases.

Unarmed people killed 660 people in 2014. More than all rifle types combined. Hardly a non threat given the circumstances are usually them assaulting or attempting to disarm an officer.