Cops are seizing hundreds of millions of dollars from drivers and bragging about it in chat rooms

[TheBlackAdder]

51. Nothing will change. 20/20 did an expose on Louisiana parishes doing this over two decades ago.

Police were stopping expensive cars driving between Florida to Texas.

They would only pick cars that were owned by the drivers and not rentals, else the rental company might sue to reclaim the vehicle. the cars chosen were from states hundreds of miles away, to make it even harder for the owners to defend themselves.

The vehicles were stopped for 'crossing over the line' and then searched, which turned up drugs.

The drivers were given the option, willfully abandon the vehicle or be arrested, convicted, and the vehicle seized anyway.

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The Parish Judge, Sheriff, and Arresting officer(s) would then split the proceeds of the car sale. The judge and sheriff would get the most, the officer would get 10-20% of the value.

20/20 rigged a Lincoln Town Car with cameras on the gages (which were certified), the interior of the vehicle, the exterior front and rear, to show the police pulling them over and whether or not they crossed the line. Sure enough, the passed two troopers and were pulled over and told they crossed over the line (when video showed the producer maintained his lane and speed the whole time). They did not make him exit the vehicle and eventually let him go. Perhaps, they saw one of the cameras.

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All vehicle stops were incentivized and the judges, sheriffs, and arresting officers were some of the wealthiest people in those parishes.