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Unanimous Supreme Court Strikes a Blow in Favor of Civil Liberties (Limiting Civil Forfeiture)

posted by takyon on Thursday February 21 2019, @03:11AM   Printer-friendly
from the kick-back dept.

mhajicek writes:

Supreme Court curbs power of government to impose heavy fines and seize property

In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled to drastically curb the powers that states and cities have to levy fines and seize property, marking the first time the court has applied the Constitution's ban on excessive fines at the state level.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who returned to the court for the first time in almost two months after undergoing surgery for lung cancer, wrote the majority opinion in the case involving an Indiana man who had his Land Rover seized after he was arrested for selling $385 of heroin.

"Protection against excessive fines has been a constant shield throughout Anglo-American history for good reason: Such fines undermine other liberties," Ginsburg wrote. "They can be used, e.g., to retaliate against or chill the speech of political enemies. They can also be employed, not in service of penal purposes, but as a source of revenue."

Also at National Review, SCOTUSblog, and NPR.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 21 2019, @01:48PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 21 2019, @01:48PM (#804494)

    When the civil rights movement and lawyers can still keep tyranny in check you don't need to resort to armed revolution. Who do you want those "gun rights knuckleheads" to shoot right now? Plus with people like you along with the establishment labeling them terrorists, just how well do you think its going to go? The super safe "common sense" gun ban countries have all pushed civil liberties further into the hole a few years after acquiring that status. Those lawyers and activists don't seem to be having as much of an impact there anymore with a state monopoly on weapons and violence. I recall several of them jailing the victim when they defended themselves with anything and curtailing free speech just off the top of my head.

    The big enemy of rights is apathy. If you can't even send the lawyers out or assemble, don't expect an armed revolt either. Giving away your last resort over trumped up safety concerns is just part of that equation.