You may have heard of civil asset forfeiture.
That's where police can seize your property and cash without first proving you committed a crime; without a warrant and without arresting you, as long as they suspect that your property is somehow tied to a crime.
Now, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol has a device that also allows them to seize money in your bank account or on prepaid cards.
It's called an ERAD, or Electronic Recovery and Access to Data machine, and state police began using 16 of them last month.
Here's how it works. If a trooper suspects you may have money tied to some type of crime, the highway patrol can scan any cards you have and seize the money.
"We're gonna look for different factors in the way that you're acting," Oklahoma Highway Patrol Lt. John Vincent said. "We're gonna look for if there's a difference in your story. If there's some way that we can prove that you're falsifying information to us about your business."
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News 9 obtained a copy of the contract with the state.
It shows the state is paying ERAD Group Inc., $5,000 for the software and scanners, then 7.7 percent of all the cash the highway patrol seizes.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by krishnoid on Thursday June 09 2016, @05:15AM
Now, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol has a device that also allows them to seize money in your bank account or on prepaid cards.
There are other words for it, I think.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 09 2016, @10:31AM
Thoroughfare muggery?
(Score: 2) by edIII on Thursday June 09 2016, @07:06PM
Highway Robbery would seem to be more apt :)
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2) by Wootery on Thursday June 09 2016, @08:44PM
That... that's the joke...