Drug Task Force Raids Woman's House, Confiscates Vibrator

[Rake2204]

Anyone have thoughts or knowledge on civil forfeiture? I admit this is a topic for which I was woefully uninformed (and remain mostly so) before reading this story.

http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2015/06/how_a_sex_toy_put_national_spo.html

Basically, a woman in Michigan was diagnosed with MS. She's registered to use and grow medical marijuana for other patients. A drug task force raided her home anyway. A judge said no crime has occurred, so the woman is in the clear pending an appeal.

In the meantime, for the last 10 months, she's been without an abundance of possessions seized during the raid - including but not limited to: ladders, ipdads, her children's phones, and her vibrator. They did not confiscate her grow lights, however, and there's no timeline on when or if she'll get her possessions back (the department denies taking her vibrator).

Michigan police made $23.4 million in civil forfeiture in 2013.

I imagine there must be a time and a place when civil forfeiture makes sense (real deal drug busts of convicted criminals) but aren't situations like the one above kind of madness?

[wakencdukest]

Dumb ass cops, just give her her giant vibrating dildo back.

[outbreak]

How large is this giant vibrator? Are they keeping it away for health and safety reasons? Maybe it draws too much power from her building when in use or is a noise complaint?

[Rake2204]

John Oliver has a segment on civil forfeiture:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kEpZWGgJks

Very informativeGreat segment, thank you. Civil forfeiture really does seem like absolute madness.

[Akrazotile]

Anyone have thoughts or knowledge on civil forfeiture? I admit this is a topic for which I was woefully uninformed (and remain mostly so) before reading this story.

http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2015/06/how_a_sex_toy_put_national_spo.html

Basically, a woman in Michigan was diagnosed with MS. She's registered to use and grow medical marijuana for other patients. A drug task force raided her home anyway. A judge said no crime has occurred, so the woman is in the clear pending an appeal.

In the meantime, for the last 10 months, she's been without an abundance of possessions seized during the raid - including but not limited to: ladders, ipdads, her children's phones, and her vibrator. They did not confiscate her grow lights, however, and there's no timeline on when or if she'll get her possessions back (the department denies taking her vibrator).

Michigan police made $23.4 million in civil forfeiture in 2013.

I imagine there must be a time and a place when civil forfeiture makes sense (real deal drug busts of convicted criminals) but aren't situations like the one above kind of madness?


If she's legit authorized to do this and some douchebag judge or DA called for a raid anyway, she ought to be able to sue him personally (from his pocket, not the tax payers) for the value of her possessions.

[NumberSix]

If she's legit authorized to do this and some douchebag judge or DA called for a raid anyway, she ought to be able to sue him personally (from his pocket, not the tax payers) for the value of her possessions.
That's a grey area. Although some state governments have made marijuana legal, the federal government says it is illegal.

[KiiiiNG]

That's a grey area. Although some state governments have made marijuana legal, the federal government says it is illegal.
such a great world we live in.

[daily]

After all this time why would she really want the vibrator back? Who knows where that things been in the interim