LNP: “State forfeiture law allows county officials to seize money or property believed to be connected to crime. Here in Lancaster County forfeitures are on the rise. The Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office has generated millions in forfeiture proceeds in recent years and is sitting on a $1.75 million surplus.
“Most of the money came from drug dealers’ pockets. But not all of it.”
“While the law was designed to crack down on major drug criminals, an LNP review of hundreds of recent forfeiture files show it’s more often used against low-level dealers, casual users — and sometimes people never charged with a crime.”
WATCHDOG: Kudos to the news editors of LNP for raising the subject.
Forfeiture laws have been abused in many parts of the county. In some areas, it is a thriving business. See “Stop and seize: Aggressive police take hundreds of millions of dollars from motorists not charged with crimes” in the Washington Post.
If the Lancaster County District Attorney’s office is sitting on a surplus of over $1.75 million, what do they plan to do with it?
Every year at budget time the county asks for more and more money. Yet the county has a SURPLUS of $1.75 million. Who has contrrol of this money/account? Questions should be asked.
Of course, the method by which this surplus was raised should also be called into question!
Unfortunately, we live in an area where the local news media will never challenge or investigate the judicial system, whether it be the Lancaster City Police or the District Attorney’s office. Both are treated as sacred cows, just like the rest of the power-elite in Lancaster County.