Oakland,California...The California Supreme Court dramatically expanded forfeiture law Wednesday,ruling that local governments can seize the vehicles of people SUSPECTED of dealing drugs or soliciting prostitutes from a car.The high court upheld a 1997 Oakland ordinances allowing such seizures even if the suspect is not convicted or is acquitted.The law applies even if the owner wasn't in the car and did not know of or support the crime.The City has seized about 300 cars under the law and kept the profits from their sale.Following Wednesday's closely watched ruling,comparable seizure are expected to be adopted by cities and counties across the state.Sacramento,for one,already has a similar law.. "It's an extraodinarily harsh statute"said Nina Wilder ,a lawyer for California Attorneys for Criminal Justice,which had urged the justices to nullify the ordinance."There is something un-American about this,that they can take your car without you doing anything wrong"I suggest that travelers avoid these cities mentioned, like the plague..screw their Restaurents and Hotels and gas stations.And if you should find yourself in these cities right now,run,do not walk, to the nearest exit.The greedy Bastards!..Full story at www.modbee.com

-- Dan Newsome (BOONSTAR1@webtv.net), October 19, 2000

Answers

MORAL: Always use the fishing car when scoring your party favors.

-- Goodbye civil liberties (@ .), October 19, 2000.

The question is: what are Americans to do when the courts uphold clearly unconstitutional laws?

It sheds some light on why California banned semi-auto rifles, doesn't it?

-- J (Y2J@home.comm), October 19, 2000.

No it doesn't Dennis.

-- (want@2.live), October 19, 2000.

For information on the nonprofit organization FEAR (Forfeiture Endangers American Rights), go to www.fear.org.

-- David L (bumpkin@dnet.net), October 19, 2000.