Civil Liberties
Related: About this forumJudges: U.S. Exceeded Scope of Warrant in Search of BH Safety Deposit Boxes
Source: My News LA
Judges: U.S. Exceeded Scope of Warrant in Search of BH Safety Deposit Boxes
by Contributing Editor
January 23, 2024
A federal appeals court in Pasadena Tuesday reversed dismissal of a lawsuit claiming that the FBIs search and seizure of property from a Beverly Hills safe deposit box company was unconstitutional.
The contents of about 700 safe deposit boxes at U.S. Private Vaults were inventoried by the FBI during a raid on March 22, 2021, according to the opinion by a three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Although the company subsequently pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and was fined $1.1 million in June 2022, none of the box holders was accused of any crimes.
Box renters including owners of Cartier bracelets, Rolex watches, firearms, gold bullion and cash filed suit for the return of their property, alleging violations of their Fourth Amendment protection from unreasonable search and seizure and their Fifth Amendment protection from having private property taken without compensation.
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Read more: https://mynewsla.com/crime/2024/01/23/judges-u-s-exceeded-scope-of-warrant-in-search-of-bh-safety-deposit-boxes/
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Related: Appeals Court: FBI's Safe-Deposit Box Seizures Violated Fourth Amendment (Reason.com)
2naSalit
(93,098 posts)A mass invasion of privacy and other rights, I don't know what is.
slightlv
(4,398 posts)I'd lay odds THESE people will, tho... look at that list... gold bullion, rolex and cartier watches. These people have money to press the point. The rest of poor saps can take it to court, but after months and sometimes years of waiting, still will generally walk away with nothing.
This "confiscation" law is one of the worst laws to ever come into being. If police depts can't pay their people from the city's budget, then they need to adjust something -- size, way they police, etc. "Confiscation" is nothing more than stealing, AFAIC. But it was pushed with the get tough on drug laws... and we're still fighting to get pot legal in all states. We'll have these laws on the books forever. Anything that brings in more money for the authorities. (Can you tell I hate this law!)
2naSalit
(93,098 posts)Wouldn't be the first time luxurious/expensive things were confiscated and disappeared.