If you don't know what I am deferring to you have been under a rock or not familiar with the phrase. The confiscation law is what allows police to take something that does not belong to them and sell it. The law was intended to help the police pay for there operations. If they catch someone trafficking illegal drugs, the cops keep the car and get to drive it or sell it.

The basic principle is not what I have a problem with. It is the fact that in Iowa any way, the cops are not the only people that benefit from confiscation. I Iowa the local Police, State Attorneys Office, and the Judicial branch all make money off the sale of confiscated items. To me this seems terribly wrong that everyone involved in the case except the person being accused has a vested interest in the case. How can a State Attorney or Judge stay impartial when they know that there dept. makes money if the defendant is found guilty?

Did you know that in many states just having enough money in cash on your person is reason enough for it to be confiscated ???? Yes that's right. You don't have to do anything wrong except carry to much cash. Lets say for some odd reason you were going to buy a motorcycle and the seller said he would only accept cash. He wants 20,000 for the bike. If you legally obtain the money and are pulled over by a cop in Iowa he could confiscate that money for no other reason than he wants to. Then you have to go to go to court and PROVE the money was really yours. You are GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT.

Or lets say your Old Lady takes YOUR car down town and is caught buying drugs. Yea your right she should be in deep shit. But should you loose YOUR car. By state law YES your car was being used for illegal purposes and you just lost it. It was your responsibility to ensure that your old lady would not do anything illegal.

If you rent a house and the people living there grow marijuana you could loose YOUR HOUSE!!!! Give me a break!!!!!!! It's the double standard I have a problem with. When was the last time you saw your local police dept. auctioning off a hotel because a prostitute was working there??? Hell no that would never happen. Hotels have to much money and can afford to fight. The little guy on the other hand is screwed. Even if he fights the claim he is facing cops that get money from the sale of the house, a state attorney who gets money if he's found guilty, and a judge that can pocket money for his dept. if the guy is found guilty. I thought that the United States Judicial system was suppose to be IMPARTIAL!!!!! The whole thing stinks of shit!!!!

Now your probably thinking I lost something in a confiscation. NO I didn't. BUT I had a friend of mine loose his bike to one. He and 3 other guys were heading to Sturgis a few years back and one of the other guys with him had a ton of drugs. They got pulled over for speeding and the cop found the drugs. Since the guy driving was the one with the drugs and there bikes were all in his trailer the cops confiscated EVERYONE'S bikes. My friend had to pay a lawyer 2500 dollars to get his own bike back and did NOTHING WRONG!!!!! I guess my point is the guilty are suppose to pay. Not the spouse, the landlord, or the friends.

Take a look at this website. The Kansas City Star did a very interesting series of articles on this topic. Be sure to take notice that in Missouri confiscated items and cash can be sold and spent EVEN BEFORE the person is convicted of the crime. If they are later found innocent.... Well to bad. I guess all you get is a sorry. if you want to see the articles click the link below.

http://www.kcstar.com/projects/drugforfeit/update2.html