Dirty Money-

[DentCoFarmer]

If there is a way to keep dirty money, I say let's keep it and give it to our local schools
By Donald Dodd
Publisher
The Salem News
Salem, Missouri 65560

Just think what our schools could do with $40,000. How about a few textbooks? What about pumping a little cash into one of the underfunded programs? The possibilities are endless.
We probably need to do more of this. It would help deter crime (it isn't supposed to pay) and ease the budgets all at the same time. By the way, we didn't ask, but where does the $40,000 go if law enforcement doesn't seize it?

Source where you can read the rest of the story: http://www.thesalemnewsonline.com/pages/pub.html


I'm sure most of us think this is a good idea, and to keep the $ local, is even a better idea.

But, until now---where did the money go?

[kj]

This is the first time I can remember a seizure of size. There was one of about 12k a few years ago, but it got returned to the defendant. I think it was part if a plea bargain. This is the first time I remember the Prosecutor filing the civil law suit required. It is a lot of work, so it's not worth doing it for small amounts.

KJ

[DentCoFarmer]

This is the first time I can remember a seizure of size. There was one of about 12k a few years ago, but it got returned to the defendant. I think it was part if a plea bargain. This is the first time I remember the Prosecutor filing the civil law suit required. It is a lot of work, so it's not worth doing it for small amounts.

KJ

Thanks for the info.
I am in that Judicial Bldg circle alot, and it was foreign to me, to hear the discussion of this.
As busy as the PA's office is, I suppose it is just not cost/time productive to bother with small amounts.

DCF

[NN]

Taking moneys or any personal property held in an arrest before a trial even? That's also known as theft. The local news supporting theft?
Yes indeed this county is in need of some fixing. If successful at such theft this forum might just get national news for the county yet. The bots you see sometimes listed as visitors here are search robot computer programs the search engines (google, yahoo, askjeeves, etc) use to index information on the net.
When it's widely known dent county residents convict a person [publicly in newspapers and internet media] accused before any trial, it will interest all those who still think there are laws to protect the innocent. Until proven guilty properly an accused individual is still presumed innocent under present laws. Stealing their money or any of their property for any purpose is still a theft.
If we have to do this to educate children, that's not such a good example for them to learn at an early age. I'm hoping his lawyers make that newspaper pay dearly for it's early judgment in print. Money for schools is on ballots all the time and can be raised easily if indeed it's a priority for citizens, that's the education the kids need. Accusations in print are a serious violation of law that will be ignored by most dent county residents as they agree with the idea of grab the money and run.
If the man is guilty...... let the courts do its job and see to it they do it properly, don't support the dirty system or you are part of it and have no business making any complaints when it's your turn to get screwed by them.
I could care less about what happens to this individual, but I do have serious concerns about how the system deals with it's job. The newspaper influencing people illegally in a court case makes it easy for his lawyers to move the case elsewhere. It also says little of the residents who allow such behavior.
I'm shocked by the idea of a whole county that seems to disagree with me wanting old laws that made this country great being removed, ignored, or altered to allow the local government to railroad anyone. Supporting newspapers that clearly bias a open undecided court proceeding is being accomplice to illegal activities much more serious than having a bale of pot and a pile of cash beside it. I don't care if it a round bale or square or the size pile of cash, wrong is wrong, a pot bust hardly compares with individual rights. Individual rights are at an all time low and we're going to make that worse? We better close schools if we can't teach children the difference in right and wrong by stealing money to keep them open.
I enlisted in the army a long time ago and volunteered (form 1049) for service in Viet Nam because I was taught patriotism in school and to fight for freedom from oppression. I lost friends there and it was for the protection of freedom here supposedly. Well I found later it was just to make rich people richer just as all wars are. When we allow anyone with any charge to be treated unfairly we are worse than them regardless of the charge. It may be you who is targeted next, do you want to be treated like that by salem news and citizens?


Edit:
Is it the prosecutors job to be involved in civil cases? In a post on eye one individual says no. I don't know and now I wonder.

[DentCoFarmer]

NN:
Taking moneys or any personal property held in an arrest before a trial even? That's also known as theft. The local news supporting theft?
Yes indeed this county is in need of some fixing. If successful at such theft this forum might just get national news for the county yet. The bots you see sometimes listed as visitors here are search robot computer programs the search engines (google, yahoo, askjeeves, etc) use to index information on the net.
When it's widely known dent county residents convict a person [publicly in newspapers and internet media] accused before any trial, it will interest all those who still think there are laws to protect the innocent. Until proven guilty properly an accused individual is still presumed innocent under present laws. Stealing their money or any of their property for any purpose is still a theft.

You are right.

The SPIDERS will be here soon.

About being innocent until proven guilty in Dent Co.,....think again.
I'd love to elaborate, unfortunately I cannot, due to blog and forum rules.

Our Newspaper has printed information from Law Enforcement, that is totally untrue.
The incident of ''guilty until proven innocent'' last summer, was on the front page...with all the evidence listed, time and location of arrest. When evidence was needed to proceed in court....THERE WAS NONE...it was a hoax perpetrated on one of our citizens by an over zealous law enforcement. And, erronious information printed by our local newspaper, by an overly eager media, hungry to fill those meaningless pages of tripe.

And, you are right we cannot steal money from people who are being tried.
However the way it reads, is an overly zealous newspaper and county court, THAT is going to have a Civil Action pending and ready to go, as soon as the criminal trial is over.
They think this Mr. Hayes is guilty already, before the last drop of the gavel.

I don't know Mr. Hayes' innocence or guilt, nor do I know who he is, but he is an American Citizen, who should be afforded due process of law.

It's almost funny picturing the county licking their lips and rubbing their hands together, hoping to get their hands on this money.

I know our Mo. Jay Nixon has gathered up many dollars from convicted criminals who are in State Prisons..................BUT THEY ARE ALREADY CONVICTED of a crime.

This anticipation of convicting to get 40K is sick.............

[kj]

Who is the "they" that already believe his is guilty? Of course the Prosecutor and law enforcement do. That's who charged him and will try to convince a jury he is guilty. The Criminal Activities Forfeiture Act (CAFA) requires the Prosecutor to file a civil action to seize assets obtained or used in a criminal endeavor. The law requires this action is filed within 10 days of the seizure. That's why the civil action was filed so quickly. Now, whether or not you agree with the government’s ability to seize assets is maybe the real issue.

What arrests on the front page of the paper last summer are you referring to?

[DentCoFarmer]

The arrests last summer have nothing to do with me personally, I just know the names of the people and the history of the incidents. I do not have permission, to post ''names'' in a blog or a forum. But, what I know about what happened, took away any respect I had for the Sheriff's Dept, and the Newspaper. They were flying by the seat of their pants, and made a real big mistake. Reminding everyone of names of innocents, now-- only opens a wound again. I won't do that to them.

I will be awaiting their law suit though.
~~~~~
And, I think we did know that the State/County has to start that Civil Suit re: the seisures. But, do they have to lick their lips and smack their chops in the Salem News before the fact?

Class, that's it...CLASS, ---there is none in this County.
I'm not even suggesting Jessica Sparks did the wrong thing. I think she is superior as a PA in a County full of irresponsible law. The reason she is so overrun with cases, is because she is being handing unreliable information, that in the end is a moot issue.

My point on topic in this thread is:

The Salem News is licking their lips and smacking their chops, over a yet to be decided case of search and seisure. Yes the papers must be filed, but the anticipation by the locals is almost unfair. Do you think that THAT ANTICIPATION is going to influence a future jury? Convict to get the money, or convict because the defandant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt?

Do you see what I was getting at?
Don't know how to make it much more clear.

[pilot]

Everyone is worried about the cash. A lot of people in Dent County smoke pot. Not many have any cash.
The law has pot, at least 7 pounds according to the news. This little tirade in the news speaks of a criminal and taking his possessions:


This might be called stealing from the criminals by some, but you know what grandma used to say about ill-gotten gain.
Anyway, we aren't the only ones "seizing" a little cash from criminals. Inmates in Missouri's corrections facilities paid more than $780,000 to reimburse the state for the cost of their care in 2007, due to the recovery efforts of Attorney General Jay Nixon.
Since the beginning of 2003, the AG's office has collected more than $3.6 million for taxpayers from offenders in Missouri prisons, including claims from lottery winnings, inheritances, lawsuit settlements and bank accounts.
Get this: The state "seized" $48,554 from a prisoner who inherited part of his father's estate. The prisoner was sentenced for stealing a motor vehicle, assault and multiple drug possession counts.
A 1988 law, the Missouri Incarceration Reimbursement Act (MIRA), allows the Attorney General to take legal action to recover up to 90 percent of an inmate's assets after any obligations to spouse or children are met. The average annual cost of incarceration in the Missouri Department of Corrections is approximately $15,000 per offender.
We can get at the local criminals where it hurts, too, but only if we file the proper paperwork and there is a guilty verdict.
We should take advantage of this local law and get every dollar we can from the criminal element that is costing us untold public dollars. We should return the favor.
Donald Dodd is president and publisher of Salem Publishing Company. He can be reached at newsdodd@earthlink.net or 729-4126.



If, just if, one deputy has access to the pot stored by law enforcement (hopefully) and knows where a pothead with cash lives it will be easy for him to plant that wherever he wants to and the pothead looses all his cash, freedom, reputation in the community. I'm beginning to wonder if he wasn't busted to get the cash. None of the other known potheads are bothered.
That news article doesn't refer to any alleged crime, it speaks of convicted criminals. Donald Dodd has apparently convicted the man in the press.
My only point is that if you have a pile of cash (the law don't have that part) they can bring the pot and have your cash. They counted sandwich bags, how many people don't own sandwich bags? Many people own kitchen scales. Many people smoke pot and have some pipes or whatever at their homes. Most don't have cash.
Did word get out that he saved his money in cash form? They supposedly still have the 7 pounds. If you own cash, kitchen scales, and sandwich bags all it takes is one deputy or anyone with access to the pot the law keeps to put you at risk of being set up.
It's not legal to own pot, how much does the law have in it's possession now? Are they totally above the law they are supposed to be enforcing? They drive like it. Whatever pot they have in their possession should be burned on the courthouse square in publicly announced procedure or they are just as guilty as anyone else who has possession of pot and should face the consequences.
If they can't take their own dogs through the courthouse in a search and find nothing anyone who has cash is at risk of a set up.
Don't tell me it can't happen here, I know better.

[DentCoFarmer]

To pilot:

You just hit that nail, right on the head!

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