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Money Collected with "Crack Tax"
October 14, 2010 - myfoxmemphis.com
Millions Seized Before Drug Bust
Convictions
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - It's illegal to sell drugs in Tennessee, but it's
legal for the state to tax drug dealers. The 2005 Crack Tax allowed law
enforcement in Tennessee to seize money and property for drug busts, if
the person had not paid a crack tax.
Between 2005 and 2009, the state seized more than $10 million worth of
cash and property from drug busts. The Crack Tax allowed law
enforcement agencies to seize property "before" a person was convicted
of a crime.
Last year, the Tennessee Supreme Court struck down the "Crack Tax" as
unconstitutional by saying the state could not tax an illegal activity.
Now Tennessee owes hundreds of drug dealers millions of dollars in
refunds. Over the summer, the state passed another version of the crack
tax.
One of the lawmakers that voted for the crack tax, is Collierville
Republican Curry Todd. Todd joined FOX13 to talk about the “Crack Tax.”
Since the Supreme Court struck down the original Crack Tax, Tennessee
has had to issue four million dollars in refunds. But there are roughly
2,500 more people who paid the tax, who have not received any money
back.
The attorney, who got the original crack tax thrown out, recently told
FOX13 how the state went too far with the crack tax.
Between 2005 and 2009, the state of Tennessee cashed in on people
busted with drugs, who had not paid a tax on those drugs and the
attorney who challenged the crack tax, says the state was ruthless and
abusive in seizing drugs, cash and properties.
"They were chasing people down the halls of courtrooms trying to get
the gold chains off their necks, braking into their kids homes, taking
their kids piggy banks, they were taking property that belonged to the
family for generations," said ???
"They" were police, sheriff's departments and department of revenue
agents across the state and they were operating under the authority of
the "Crack Tax” which Knoxville attorney Phil Lamonaca would
successfully challenge in the state supreme court last year.
"You can’t tax an illegal privilege because we don't give drug dealers
the privilege of selling drugs. So it's not a privilege, therefore it
can't be a privilege tax, and so they threw it out."
Before it was thrown out, casual users of illegal drugs like cocaine
and marijuana were being accessed big fines and the fines were
automatic, assessed "before" the case was ruled on in court.
"Anybody that had five or six or seven grams of marijuana was labeled a
drug dealer. Once they found people in possession of that much or more,
and there was not a tax stamp affixed or stuck to the drugs, then they
would assess tax and penalties and interests, accumulating
astronomically quickly."
In one year alone, 2006, the state assessed more than $40 million in
drug fines.
Actual collections were much lower, $10 million while the Crack Tax was
legal until the Supreme Court made it go up in smoke last year.
Quote: dokunai said: When "Department of Revenue" officers are the ones digging through your shit you can bet it's not for anything remotely related to justice.
Yeah no kidding. You'd think they would at least try to not be so obvious about it lol.
-------------------- D Manoa said: I need to stop spending all my money on plants and take up a cheaper hobby, like heroin.
Looking for Rauhocereus riosaniensis seeds or live specimen(s), me if you have any for trade