Post by Origanalist on Nov 15, 2017 4:16:33 GMT -8
Denver city attorney’s office made $2.4 million in car seizures in 2016
NOVEMBER 13, 2017
DENVER -- The Problem Solvers have uncovered a city law that's making Denver millions of dollars before defendants have even been convicted of a crime. The Denver statute is called a Public Nuisance Abatement Ordinance and it allows police to confiscate property, usually cars, for a crime you may later be found innocent of.
It's exactly what happened to 57-year-old Semere Fremichael, a native of Eritrea. The immigrant from East African has been driving a taxi in Denver for the past 28-years. In April, he was arrested in an undercover prostitution sting. An undercover female cop tapped on Fremichael's taxi and asked him if he wanted to meet her around the corner for sex.
"I thought she was crazy, I said 'Oh she's crazy' that's why I left," said Fremichael. Denver Police pulled Fremichael over six blocks away to arrest him.
Denver police also filed a civil violation against Fremichael's Toyota Prius as a "Class One Public Nuisance," alleging the car was used in the commission of a crime.
"My client unfortunately got himself caught up in a scam that the city basically uses to make money," said Richard Gross, Fremichael's defense attorney. Gross helped convince a judge to acquit Fremichael of the prostitution charge but says Fremichael was forced to sign a civil stipulation long before he was found innocent of the criminal charge.
"If he refused to sign that stipulation and was found guilty at a civil hearing, he would end up losing approximately $6,000 and the vehicle would be impounded for between six months and a year," said Gross. Instead, Fremichael agreed to pay a $1,000 and wait 30-days to get his car back.
"I was, still I"m angry," said Fremichael, who estimates his lost $2,500 not being able to drive his taxi for a month.
"The city has him over a barrel. Once they steal his car, which is in effect what they did, they have him over a barrel and it`s unfortunate that the city is so desperate to take money from working class people," complained Gross.
A public records request filed by the Problem Solvers revealed Denver used its Public Nuisance Abatement Ordinance to confiscate 1,821 cars in 2016 and made $2.4 million dollars in the process. This year Denver is on pace to seize more than 2,000 cars.
Video and audio at link.. kdvr.com/2017/11/13/denver-city-attorneys-office-made-2-4-million-in-car-seizures-in-2016/
NOVEMBER 13, 2017
DENVER -- The Problem Solvers have uncovered a city law that's making Denver millions of dollars before defendants have even been convicted of a crime. The Denver statute is called a Public Nuisance Abatement Ordinance and it allows police to confiscate property, usually cars, for a crime you may later be found innocent of.
It's exactly what happened to 57-year-old Semere Fremichael, a native of Eritrea. The immigrant from East African has been driving a taxi in Denver for the past 28-years. In April, he was arrested in an undercover prostitution sting. An undercover female cop tapped on Fremichael's taxi and asked him if he wanted to meet her around the corner for sex.
"I thought she was crazy, I said 'Oh she's crazy' that's why I left," said Fremichael. Denver Police pulled Fremichael over six blocks away to arrest him.
Denver police also filed a civil violation against Fremichael's Toyota Prius as a "Class One Public Nuisance," alleging the car was used in the commission of a crime.
"My client unfortunately got himself caught up in a scam that the city basically uses to make money," said Richard Gross, Fremichael's defense attorney. Gross helped convince a judge to acquit Fremichael of the prostitution charge but says Fremichael was forced to sign a civil stipulation long before he was found innocent of the criminal charge.
"If he refused to sign that stipulation and was found guilty at a civil hearing, he would end up losing approximately $6,000 and the vehicle would be impounded for between six months and a year," said Gross. Instead, Fremichael agreed to pay a $1,000 and wait 30-days to get his car back.
"I was, still I"m angry," said Fremichael, who estimates his lost $2,500 not being able to drive his taxi for a month.
"The city has him over a barrel. Once they steal his car, which is in effect what they did, they have him over a barrel and it`s unfortunate that the city is so desperate to take money from working class people," complained Gross.
A public records request filed by the Problem Solvers revealed Denver used its Public Nuisance Abatement Ordinance to confiscate 1,821 cars in 2016 and made $2.4 million dollars in the process. This year Denver is on pace to seize more than 2,000 cars.
Video and audio at link.. kdvr.com/2017/11/13/denver-city-attorneys-office-made-2-4-million-in-car-seizures-in-2016/
