U.S. judge rules government cannot seize family-owned motel

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

U.S. judge rules government cannot seize family-owned motel

By Karen Freifeld
NEW YORK | Fri Jan 25, 2013 9:04pm EST

(Reuters) - In a victory for property rights, a U.S. judge shot down a government effort to seize a family-owned motel in Tewksbury, Massachusetts.

The Justice Department sought forfeiture of the Motel Caswell, introducing evidence of its connection to 15 drug-related incidents between 1994 and 2008.

Russell Caswell, 69, and his wife, Patricia, 71, own the motel through a trust and he runs it. There is no contention anyone from the family has ever been involved in criminal activity, the judge said.

The government "has not met its burden in providing that the property is forfeitable," Magistrate Judge Judith Dein of U.S. District Court in Massachusetts wrote in a decision Thursday dismissing the civil forfeiture action.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/26/us-motel-seizure-idUSBRE90P02420130126

[mountain grammy]

1. Justice! So sweet, so rare!

[Downwinder]

2. Another case of Prosecutor overreach.

[dballance]

3. I Read Somewhere Else that the DEA Has an agent who does nothing but look for properties like this

Last edited Sat Jan 26, 2013, 04:16 PM - Edit history (1)

A DEA agent, under oath, testified his job was to watch TV and read the newspapers for drug crimes. He then would go to the registrar of deeds and look up the properties, like the Caswell Motel, so that they could be targeted for forfeiture like the Caswell Motel since it was mortgage-free and worth $1.5 million. The motel was most certainly targeted because the Feds wanted to seize it and sell it to get the money for the DEA and local police get some too so that they'll play along.

I find this rather abhorrent. Our government is not supposed to be screwing us this way.

[limpyhobbler]

4. +1000

for "Our government is not supposed to be screwing us this way."