(NAC) Vehicle seizure statute - watch out!, Oakland, CA

[edkellock at juno.com]

Ah, the People's Republik of California.
Hey Anton, can I borrow your car?

Ed
(previous long-time resident of California)

On Thu, 19 Oct 2000 18:52:48 -0700 "Gaidos, A." <agaidos at got.net> writes:
>  All,
> The Ca supreme court decided yesterday not to review an Oakland, Ca
> ordinance allowing the seizure of your vehicle even if you are never
> convicted of a crime.
>  The ordinance also allows the seizure of your vehicle even if you were
> unaware your vehicle was being used for a crime.
>  Those crimes being the selling of drugs in any amount or the
solicitation
> of prostitution. This is a news story by David Kravets of the
associated
> press. I read it in today's Mercury News.
>  Only two Ca. supreme court justices voted to review the case, the rest
> abstaining. To date the city of Oakland has seized 300 cars and keeps
the
> profits from the sales. At least 12 other cities (mine likely one of
them)
> have contacted Oakland to get the details on how they might apply the
same.
> Only San Francisco has stated that they believe this to be
unconstitutional.
> The Mayor of Oakland is none other then Jerry Brown, former Ca Governor
-
> who would have thought he'd support such an un-American ordinance.
>  Nina Wilder, a lawyer for the California Attorneys for Criminal
Justice
> said "there is something un-American about this that they can take your
car
> without you doing anything wrong".
>  In 1997 the high court upheld the Oakland ordinance allowing such
seizures
> even if the suspect is not convicted.
>  Who are these justices and who appointed them?
> 
> Anton J. Gaidos, III
> '91 200q20vt
> '90 90q20v
> '85 urquattro
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