After one woman broke his heart, a young Michigan man turned to another woman, who tried to steer him toward a violent response. Both women were FBI informants.
Category: Police
Oregon DOJ Encourages Surveillance Of First Amendment Activities; Acts Surprised When Agents Do Exactly That | Techdirt
According to documents released to the ACLU, the Oregon DOJ has problems complying with both state and federal laws. Law enforcement agencies are forbidden from conducting surveillance of First Amendment-protected activities unless they can demonstrate beforehand that there is evidence of criminal activity tied to it. But the DOJ’s own presentations suggest agents should perform surveillance first and fix it in post. According to its instructions, agents should be “creative” when looking for justification for surveillance of First Amendment-protected activities. Literally, “any crime will do.”
Rep. Issa Calls Out Civil Asset Forfeiture As Letting ‘Cops Go Treasure Hunting’ | Techdirt
Civil asset forfeiture allows police to seize property as long as they believe that the assets in question were somehow connected to criminal activity. “As long as they believe” — that’s the key part. Authorities don’t have to actually prove the person was guilty of a crime. They don’t have to even file charges. The presumption of innocence is thrown to the wayside. It’s an egregious violation of the 4th Amendment, but that’s not even the most glaring problem with the system. Under current law, most states allow police departments to absorb up to 100% of the value of the confiscated property — whether it’s cash, cars, houses or guns — and use the proceeds to pad their budgets. It’s an obvious conflict of interest — and boy, is it profitable for law enforcement agencies.
Source: Rep. Issa Calls Out Civil Asset Forfeiture As Letting ‘Cops Go Treasure Hunting’ | Techdirt
FBI Told Cops to Recreate Evidence From Secret Cell-Phone Trackers
Feds tell locals that they need to find other ways “to corroborate information concerning the location of the target obtained through the use of this equipment” if they want to introduce it at trial.
Source: FBI Told Cops to Recreate Evidence From Secret Cell-Phone Trackers
NYPD Using ‘Nuisance Abatement’ Law To Force Small Businesses To Install Cameras, Agree To Warrantless Searches | Techdirt
He agreed to pay a $2,000 fine, maintain cameras that the NYPD can access at any time, and to allow the police to conduct warrantless searches. If anyone is even accused of breaking the law at his business again — whether a store employee or not — he faces escalating penalties: closures that would increase from 30 days to 60 days to 90 days to a full year with each alleged offense; fines climbing as high as $15,000.
Perhaps most damaging of all, the terms continue in perpetuity, even if the business changes hands.
Cop fired after video shows him slamming 12-year-old girl to the ground | Ars Technica
Officer’s report was “inconsistent with the video,” officials say.
Source: Cop fired after video shows him slamming 12-year-old girl to the ground | Ars Technica
Video clears Texas man of assaulting cop—did police commit perjury? | Ars Technica
“Without the video I would be in prison. There is no doubt about that.”
Source: Video clears Texas man of assaulting cop—did police commit perjury? | Ars Technica
Police Officer Attempts To Set Record For Most Constitutional Violations In A Single Traffic Stop | Techdirt
Illinois Police Department Pulls Plug On Body Cameras Because Accountability Is ‘A Bit Burdensome’ | Techdirt
Minooka Police Chief Justin Meyer said Friday the issue was not with the functionality of the cameras, but that it became a burden for staff to fill the many requests for video footage.
DOJ Reopens Asset Forfeiture Sharing Program After Temporary, Budget-Related Shutdown | Techdirt
The Justice Department has announced that it is resuming a controversial practice that allows local police departments to funnel a large portion of assets seized from citizens into their own coffers under federal law.
The “Equitable Sharing Program” gives police the option of prosecuting some asset forfeiture cases under federal instead of state law, particularly in instances where local law enforcement officers have a relationship with federal authorities as part of a joint task force. Federal forfeiture policies are more permissive than many state policies, allowing police to keep up to 80 percent of assets they seize.
Source: DOJ Reopens Asset Forfeiture Sharing Program After Temporary, Budget-Related Shutdown | Techdirt