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| Morganelli with Forks Tp Detective Philomena Kelly earlier this year,announcing homicide charges against a drug dealer who provided a fatal overdose. |
Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli announced yesterday that his drug forfeiture Program netted $140,290 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016. This includes $119,632 in cash, $16,019.13 from the sale of 15 forfeited vehicles and $4,638 in shared proceeds from Attorney General Forfeitures.
Forfeited money is used to purchase police equipment for police, fund undercover drug purchases and provide police training. It also pays for an assistant District Attorney. Seized vehicles are used by local police as unmarked or undercover vehicles or sold at auction. Real estate used to facilitate drug distribution can be forfeited as well, although the District Attorney only uses that tool against convicted drug dealers. "I will continue to return monies we have seized to our local police departments, block watch groups, civic groups and other organizations that assist us in prosecuting drug crime and in educating our youth on the dangers of drugs," said Morganelli.
In a strange sign of economic recovery, the $140,290 forfeited over the past year is substantially more money than was taken in any of the last three years (2015 - $107,802; 2014 - $120,544; 2013 - $79,831). Since he began this program, which is authorized by state statute, Morganelli has seized over $2 million from drug dealers and returned it to the community.
"Just about every municipal political subdivision in Northampton County has at one time or another benefited from a donation from the drug forfeiture fund," said the District Attorney. “The message that we want to send to those who deal in illegal drugs is a simple and clear one: be assured that you are doing it at your own risk. When we catch you we will seize your money, your house, your vehicle and any other ill gotten gains from your drug dealings. Drug use and drug dealing in Northampton County will be very unprofitable."
Is this money audited by anyone?
ReplyDeleteEvery year. By the Controller.
ReplyDeleteAt least the DA is putting the money back to the communities he serves. Lehigh County uses the money to fund the DA's bloated task forces which consists of retired police officers making good money in their police pensions. [Double dipping]! Most of these political patronage jobs are there to make the DA look like a robust crime fighter; when the truth is their effectiveness is very questionable.
ReplyDeleteMakes a great headline and means more of the same war on drugs that have made addiction and associated crime markedly worse under John's tenure. Einstein's definition of insanity come to mind. We need a new approach. The current one is killing people and ruining more and more lives. But it provides lots of public sector jobs.
ReplyDeleteWe need a new approach. Agreed. JM is another warrior in the failed war on drugs. In some places civil asset forfeiture has created a perverse incentive for law enforcement. The focus should be more on treatment, not locking people up and taking their stuff.
ReplyDelete"Forfeiture was originally presented as a way to cripple large-scale criminal enterprises by diverting their resources. But today, aided by deeply flawed federal and state laws, many police departments use forfeiture to benefit their bottom lines, making seizures motivated by profit rather than crime-fighting. For people whose property has been seized through civil asset forfeiture, legally regaining such property is notoriously difficult and expensive, with costs sometimes exceeding the value of the property." -ACLU
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ - still won't get to be AG
ReplyDeleteseizing property and assets can be abused.
ReplyDeletesomehow when buffy scores a bag of weed and gets pinched while driving daddy's Volvo--
that vehicle gets overlooked.
the biggest problem is that assets can be seized without a conviction.
try
http://www.pennlive.com/news/2015/12/cumberland_county_da_disputes.html
"The ACLU report, titled "Forfeiture in the Shadows," says Cumberland County collected more than $400,000 annually from forfeitures in 2012-13 and 2013-14, which was about 10 percent of its budget."
"In addition, the report says:
Twenty-two percent of forfeitures are brought against people who have not been found guilty of a related crime.
In approximately 70 percent of cases, prosecutors get property owners to sign "settlement" agreements, usually without any judicial oversight or attorney representation.
Only 4.7 percent of the money seized for forfeiture was ever returned to property owners.
Property owners lost every cash-only case involving less than $365."
Morganelli only goes after the guilty. He was questioned on this point last year. He agrees abuse is possible.
ReplyDelete5:22, If you want to advocate changes in drug laws, and I would agree with respect to marijuana, you get nowhere by posting anonymous comments on blogs. Just saying.
ReplyDeleteDo you really believe this is a deterrent?
ReplyDeleteAlso, what does it mean that he only takes homes of "convicted" drug dealers. Does that mean he takes money and vehicles from unconnected dealers?
The drug war is a disgrace and this is one example of the court-prison system being counter productive and destructive to communities. The drugs are not going away.
Absolutely, and a proven deterrence. Sorry, but i don't want drugs on the street that kill people. Weed is fine, but not heroin.
ReplyDelete