Hey guys, its been a long while since I posted over here, but I wanted to get the word out about this. Its Mopar related. While I doubt many of us will ever be in the particualr situation the fact remains that this is one step from allowing our government to get away with anything.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/432138,4_1_JO18_DARE_S1.articleThe facts that we're sure of:
- The driver was doing 127 in a 35
- No one was hurt and nothing was damaged
- There were no drugs in the car and the driver had no prior drug offenses
- The driver had a suspended license
- The "densely populated residential road" the offense took place on has no houses or driveways, but does have a school at the very end. (Google maps has a clear picture of road.)
- The arresting cop told the driver they had confiscated his car just after fingerprinting - BEFORE the driver was convicted of anything
- The car was confiscated under a new law that allows forfeit during commission of a felony
- The felony committed: Evading Arrest
- The proof - the guy stopped in an industrial park 2000 feet (30seconds) from beginning of chase - automatically qualifying as an attempt to "hide."
- The Springfield Police officers can drive the car whenever the mood suits them... for free.
- D.A.R.E. is not a state owned business - the state seized property (despite a little thing called the constitution saying its not allowed to) and donated to an outside business. A private firm doing this would be charged with grand larceny.
- The estimated value of the state gift to D.A.R.E. "1 Car."
- The car being replaced: A 1986 Firebird
- Upon taking possession of the car the arresting cop "Revved the engine several times" before being warned by a fellow officer about the danger - in Illinois that is a criminal misdemeanor - no charged files against cop despite several witnesses.
There's also evidence that the driver was threatened with jail time if he challenged the seizure - without the felony conviction most states, including Illinois, have a word for this kind of practice: Extortion
Obviously my opinion is biased with regard to the scenario - Since the offense was mild by all standards and was based solely off the cops word there is no way it justifies a felony seizure. Heavy fines, yes, a few weeks in jail, maybe, but the forfeit of a $60,000 car? No way.