纽约客近年好文集锦 政治时事4.docx

纽约客近年好文集锦 政治时事4.docx

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纽约客近年好文集锦政治时事4

Taken

Undercivilforfeiture,Americanswhohaven’tbeenchargedwithwrongdoingcanbestrippedoftheircash,cars,andevenhomes.Isthatallwe’relosing?

BYSARAHSTILLMAN

OnabrightThursdayafternoonin2007,JenniferBoatright,awaitressataHoustonbar-and-grill,drovewithhertwoyoungsonsandherboyfriend,RonHenderson,onU.S.59towardLinden,Henderson’shometown,neartheTexas-Louisianaborder.TheymadethetripeveryApril,atthefirstsignsofspring,towalkthelocalwildflowertrailsandspendtimewithHenderson’sfather.Thisyear,they’ddecidedtobuyausedcarinLinden,whichhadplentyforsale,andsotheybundledtheircashsavingsintheircar’scenterconsole.Justafterdusk,theypassedasignthatread“WelcometoTenaha:

AlittletownwithBIGPotential!

”

Theypulledintoamini-martforsnacks.Whentheyreturnedtothehighwaytenminuteslater,Boatright,ahoney-blond“TexasredneckfromLubbock,”byherownreckoning,andHenderson,whoisLatino,noticedsomethingstrange.Thesamepolicecarthattheireleven-year-oldhadadmiredinthemini-martparkinglotwastrailingthem.Nearthecitylimits,atall,bull-shoulderedofficernamedBarryWashingtonpulledthemover.

HeaskedifHendersonknewthathe’dbeendrivingintheleftlaneformorethanhalfamilewithoutpassing.

No,Hendersonreplied.Hesaidhe’dmovedintotheleftlanesothatthepolicecarcouldmakeitswayontothehighway.

Werethereanydrugsinthecar?

WhenHendersonandBoatrightsaidno,theofficeraskedifheandhispartnercouldsearchthecar.

Theofficersfoundthecouple’scashandamarbled-glasspipethatBoatrightsaidwasagiftforhersister-in-law,andescortedthemacrosstowntothepolicestation.Inacornerthere,twotableswereheapedwithjewelry,DVDplayers,cellphones,andthelike.Accordingtothepolicereport,BoatrightandHendersonfittheprofileofdrugcouriers:

theyweredrivingfromHouston,“aknownpointfordistributionofillegalnarcotics,”toLinden,“aknownplacetoreceiveillegalnarcotics.”Thereportdescribestheirchildrenaspossibledecoys,meanttodistractpoliceasthecouplebreezeddowntheroad,smokingmarijuana.（Nonewasfoundinthecar,althoughWashingtonclaimedtohavesmelledit.）

Thecounty’sdistrictattorney,afifty-seven-year-oldwomanwithfeatheredCharlie’sAngelshairnamedLyndaK.Russell,arrivedanhourlater.Russell,whomoonlightedlocallyasacountrysinger,toldHendersonandBoatrightthattheyhadtwooptions.Theycouldfacefelonychargesfor“moneylaundering”and“childendangerment,”inwhichcasetheywouldgotojailandtheirchildrenwouldbehandedovertofostercare.OrtheycouldsignovertheircashtothecityofTenaha,andgetbackontheroad.“Nocriminalchargesshallbefiled,”awaivershedraftedread,“andourchildrenshallnotbeturnedovertoCPS,”orChildProtectiveServices.

“Wherearewe?

”Boatrightremembersthinking.“Isthissomekindofforeigncountry,wherethey’resellingpeople’skidsoff?

”Holdinghersixteen-month-oldonherhip,shebrokedownintears.

Later,shelearnedthatcash-for-freedomdealshadbecomeapointofprideforTenaha,andthatversionsofthetacticwereusedacrossthecountry.“Besafeandkeepupthegoodwork,”thecitymarshalwrotetoWashington,followingaraftofcomplaintsfromout-of-towndriverswhoclaimedthattheyhadbeenstoppedinTenahaandstrippedofcash,valuables,and,inatleastonecase,aninfantchild,withoutclearevidenceofcontraband.

OutragedbytheirexperienceinTenaha,JenniferBoatrightandRonHendersonhelpedtolaunchaclass-actionlawsuitchallengingtheabuseofalegaldoctrineknownascivil-assetforfeiture.“Haveyoulookeditup?

”BoatrightaskedmewhenImetherthisspringatHouston’sH&HSaloon,wheresherunsSteakNighteveryMonday.Shewasstandingatamattress-sizegrilloutside.“It’llblowyourmind.”

Thebasicprinciplebehindassetforfeitureisappealing.Itenablesauthoritiestoconfiscatecashorpropertyobtainedthroughillicitmeans,and,inmanystates,funneltheproceedsdirectlyintothefightagainstcrime.InTulsa,Oklahoma,copsdriveaCadillacEscaladestencilledwiththewords“ThisUsedToBeaDrugDealer’sCar,NowIt’sOurs!

”InMonroe,NorthCarolina,policerecentlyproposedusingforty-fourthousanddollarsinconfiscateddrugmoneytobuyasurveillancedrone,whichmightbedeployedtocatchfleeingsuspects,conductrescuemissions,and,perhaps,seizemoredrugmoney.Hundredsofstateandfederallawsauthorizeforfeitureforcockfighting,dragracing,basementgambling,endangered-fishpoaching,securitiesfraud,andcountlessothermisdeeds.

Ingeneral,youneedn’tbefoundguiltytohaveyourassetsclaimedbylawenforcement;insomestates,suspiciononaparwith“probablecause”issufficient.Normustyoubechargedwithacrime,orevenbeaccusedofone.Unlikecriminalforfeiture,whichrequiresthatapersonbeconvictedofanoffensebeforehisorherpropertyisconfiscated,civilforfeitureamountstoalawsuitfileddirectlyagainstapossession,regardlessofitsowner’sguiltorinnocence.

OneresultistheriseofimprobablecasenamessuchasUnitedStatesv.OnePearlNecklaceandUnitedStatesv.Approximately64,695PoundsofSharkFins.（JenniferBoatrightandRonHenderson’sforfeiturewassluggedStateofTexasv.$6,037.）“TheprotectionsourConstitutionusuallyaffordsareoutthewindow,”LouisRulli,aclinicallawprofessorattheUniversityofPennsylvaniaandaleadingforfeitureexpert,observes.Apieceofpropertydoesnotsharetherightsofaperson.There’snorighttoanattorneyand,inmoststates,nopresumptionofinnocence.Ownerswhowishtocontestoftenfindthatthecostofhiringalawyerfarexceedsthevalueoftheirseizedgoods.Washington,D.C.,chargesuptotwenty-fivehundreddollarssimplyfortherighttochallengeapoliceseizureincourt,whichcantakemonthsorevenyearstoresolve.

ThetanglednatureoftheprocessbecameclearwhenIspoketoNellyMoreira,astout,curly-hairedcustodianwholivesinNorthwestD.C.Moreirareliedonher2005HondaAccordtodrivefromherearly-morningjob,cleaningTrinityWashingtonUniversity,tohereveningjob,cleaningtheU.S.TreasuryDepartment.InMarch,2012,hersonwasdrivinghercarwhenhewaspulledoverforaminortrafficviolation,and,afterapatdown,wasfoundtohaveahandgun.Hewasarrested,andhercarwasseized.Moreira,whogrewupinElSalvador,explainedinSpanishthatshereceivedaletterinthemailtwomonthslateraskinghertopayabondofonethousandandtwentydollars—whichshetooktobethefeetogethercarback.Desperate,sheborrowedcashfromfriendsandfamilytocoverthebond,whichisknowninD.C.lawasa“penalsum.”Ifshehadn’t,thecarwouldhavebeenauctionedoff,orputtousebythepolice.Butallthatthemoneyboughtherwastherighttoacomplexandslow-movingcivil-forfeiturecourtcase.

ShewasleftstrugglingtomakehercarpaymentseachmonthasherHondasatinacitylot,unusedandunshelteredfromtheelements.Thebond,theloans,andthepublic-transportationcostsaddedup.“ThereweredaysIdidn’thaveagoodmeal,”shetoldmeinFebruary,sittingbeneathherdaughter’squinceañeraportraitinhernarrowfuchsia-paintedrowhouse.

ThePublicDefenderServicefortheDistrictofColumbiawonthereleaseofMoreira’scarlastsummer,andinMayfiledalawsuitagainstthecityonbehalfofapproximatelythreehundredandseventy-fivecarownerslikeMoreira.Describingthepolicyas“devastatingforhundredsoffamilieswhodependontheircarsformanyoftheurgentandimportanttasksofdailylife,”itcalledforhigherstandardsofproofandtheendofpenal-sumfees.AtapublichearingonJuly11th,D.C.’sattorneygeneral,IrvinNathan,acknowledged“veryrealproblems”relatingtodue-processrights.Buthewarnedthatmillionsofdollarsraisedbyforfeiture“couldveryeasilybelost”and“anunreasonableburden”placedonhisofficeifthereformssupportedbythePublicDefenderServicewereenacted.Heproposedmoremodestchangesthatwouldleavethecurrentburdenofproofuntouched.

“Weallknowthewaythingsarerightnow—budgetsaretight,”SteveWestbrook,theexecutivedirectoroftheSheriffs’AssociationofTexas,says.“It’sdefinitelyavaluableassettolawenforcement,forpurchasingequipmentandgettingthingsyounormallywouldn’tbeabletogettofightcrime.”Manyofficerscontendthattheirdepartmentswouldcollapseifthepracticeweretooheavilyregulated,andthatavaluablepublic-safetymeasurewouldbelost.

Butasystemthatprovedsuccessfulatwringingprofitsfromdrugcartelsandwhite-collarfraudstershasalsogivenrisetocorruptionandviolationsofcivilliberties.Overthepastyear,Ispokewithmorethanahundredpoliceofficers,defenseattorneys,prosecutors,judges,andforfeitureplaintiffsfromacrossthecountry.Manyexpressedconcernthatstatelawsdesignedtogoafterhigh-flyingcrimelordsareroutinelytargetingtheworkadayhomes,cars,cashsavings,andotherbelongingsofinnocentpeoplewhoareneverchargedwithacrime.

WhenJenniferBoatrightandRonHendersoncomplainedtothecountyinthehopeofretrievingtheirsavings,theygotanothersurprise.LyndaRussell,thedistrictattorney,toldthemshehadwarned“repeatedly”thattheydidnothavetosignthewaiver,but,iftheycontinuedtocontestit,theycouldbeindictedonfelonycharges.“Iwillcontactyouandgiveyouanopportunitytoturnyourselfinwithouthavinganofficercometoyourdoor,”shewroteinalettermentioningtheprospectofagrandjury.Onceagain,