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Prosecutors Spend Confiscated Drug Money on Margarita Machine, Win 'Best Margarita' at County Fair

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Drenched in tequila, the brave men who fight the war on drugs will be the first to tell you that our asset forfeiture laws are a vital resource for law-enforcement:

IN 2005 the Montgomery County district attorney’s office held a party at the county fair in east Texas. They had beer, liquor and a margarita machine. The district attorney, Mike McDougal, at first denied that this had been paid for by drug money. He acknowledged that his office had a margarita machine at the fair. In fact, he said, they won first prize for best margarita. But he insisted they came by it fair and square. In any case, he pointed out, the county’s drug fund was at his discretion. Under Texas forfeiture law, counties can keep most of the money and property they rustle up.


Mr. McDougal…fessed up in the end about the margarita machine. [Economist]

It really more or less speaks for itself. They spent confiscated drug proceeds on booze, won an award for their awesome margaritas, and then lied about it. These are the people that will put you behind bars for smoking marijuana. They are the champions in the fight against drug abuse and they are as good at putting people in jail for drugs as they are at mixing alcoholic beverages.

Literally drunk on their own power, the hypocrites on the front lines of our war on drugs ought to arrest themselves if they ever sober up.
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I had no idea...

Mr. McDougal is the attorney that handled my pot case. The guy is an asshole. He refused to give me back my seized computer I won at a gaming tournament "because we found pieces of marijuana on top of the case." I still don't understand that. I could understand if he was claiming it was bought with drug money or something, but I had photographs of me at the tournament with the case when I won it.
-Chandler

Hypocrites can't be dong well Spiritually

How can the most strict prohibitionists sleep at night knowing they are locking up their own kind? How can people justify legal alcohol as being something special against other human favored intoxicants that remain illegal?

I'm convinced that we are living on "Planet of the Apes;" only animals have enough sense to let their brother and sisters be. Margarita or Skunk #1: both have their conisuers, and responsible users. Bad apples either side should not ruin it for the rest of us!

all too common

this is but another example of the egregious behavior of the state in regards to confiscated assets

note the Texas county that purchased a 90,000$ Viper as their DARE car

these confiscated assets should belong to the people, not the prosecutors and police - recycle that money for education and treatment, not tasers and restraint chairs

WTF

DRUG MONEY IF ITS SO BAD SHOULD BE BURNT NOT HANDED OVER TO THESE BUSH LIKE CRIMNALS SO THEY CAN PROFIT FROM CRIME IT ONLY ENCOUREGES THESE BADGE WEARING GANSTERS

DARE Cars

I wish there was a stat for the value of all those stupid cars. I have seen a few H2 hummers, but this viper stuff just goes to show the madness of showing kids what they can by with drug money.

Minus the DEA tax, drug dealers keep 77 percent of their profits

Note in the cited Economist article:

"Last year, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration, $12 billion was smuggled from the United States to Mexico. Federal officials seized about $1.6 billion of that. State and local agencies got many millions more. The idea is to discourage drug smugglers by taking away their profits. "

Discouragement? That's more like a tax break. I wish the govt only took 13% out of my paycheck.

It's all about the money and money is power.

Now we know why they won best margarita. It's the taste of that SWEET SWEET DRUG MONEY! Can't wait till they notice the guilt ridden bloody after-taste... hypocrites...

City Chief of Police expends $75,000 on three week "class"

Could anyone tell me where to find the laws regarding use of siezed monies by a local municapality (City)? Titusville, Florida
Our police chief expended +$75,000.00 on a three week trip to Harvard Training in Boston and claims "This money can only be used for executive training"
His own.
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