Friday, December 21, 2007

Guilty Until Proven Innocent

Welcome to America:
LIMA, Ohio — Two robbers who broke into Luther Ricks Sr.’s house this summer may have not gotten his life savings he had in a safe, but after the FBI confiscated it he may not get it back.

Ricks has tried to get an attorney to fight for the $402,767 but he has no money. Lima Police Department officers originally took the money from his house but the FBI stepped in and took it from the Police Department. Ricks has not been charged with a crime and was cleared in a fatal shooting of one of the robbers but still the FBI has refused to return the money, he said.

“They are saying I have to prove I made it,” he said.
-----
Ricks, who is retired from Ohio Steel Foundry, said he always had a safe at home and never had a bank account.

American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio Legal Director Jeff Gamso said Ricks has a tough road ahead, not impossible, but tough to get back his money.

“The law of forfeiture basically says you have to prove you’re innocent. It’s terrible, terrible law,” he said.

The law is tilted in favor of the FBI in that Ricks need not be charged with a crime and the FBI stands a good chance at keeping the money, Gamso said.

“The law will presume it is the result of ill-gotten gains,” he said.

(H/T to Radley Balko)

2 comments:

  1. 토토사이트 I have read your blog and I gathered some new information through your blog. Thanks for sharing the information

    ReplyDelete
  2. 토토 Just wish to say your article is as amazing. The clarity to your publish is simply spectacular and i could think you are a professional in this subject. Fine with your permission let me to grab your feed to stay up to date with impending post. Thanks one million and please keep up the enjoyable work.

    ReplyDelete