Swat raid Kansas home. Couple spends $25k to find out why.

[planetdoc]

http://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/...o-familys-home

Full story at the link. Summary with excerpts below.

SWAT raids a leawood couples home with guns drawn. Put them and their young kids on their couch. Find nothing illegal, and seize nothing. Kansas law prevents them from finding out why they were raided.

After the raid, the couple thought they could access public records to find out why law enforcement suspected drugs were in their home. They told 41 Action News they were shocked to find out they could not access any of those records under Kansas law.

Turns out they were raided because they made a LEGAL purchase from a Legal buisness that was under LEO observation.

Records show on Aug. 9, 2011, a Missouri Highway Patrol trooper observed a man leaving the Green Circle hydroponics store in Kansas City, Mo., in a KIA with his children and a small bag.

Bob said he had been to the store to get supplies for a science project he was working on with his son: a basement hydroponic garden.

LEO performed field tests of tea leaves in the couples trash, prior to the swat raid, that was a false positive for marijuana. They only sent those samples in to the crime lab AFTER the swat raid that indicated they did not contain any illegal substances.

The embarrassing misstep for deputies would have remained hidden if the Hartes had not had the means to spend money to gain access to the records. The family has also been contacted by people across Kansas trying to figure out how to access records about themselves. Addie said many of the people who have reached out to her do not have the same resources financially to fight to get records released.

“This not what justice in the United States is supposed to be. You shouldn't have to have $25,000, even $5,000. You shouldn't have to have that kind of money to find out why people came raiding your house like some sort of police state,” Addie Harte said.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by WhiteWhale

Unfortunately then they're just taking tax money from hard working people. 'The state' doesn't have any money.

The suit doesn't have to include financial damages.

You could sue them to set legal precedent so that it never happens again...

[excessive]

"If cops illegally enter; you get very rich in a law suit, not very dead by starting a shoot out."


Yeah, I wish it was that easy. Because I faced the exact same situation. It takes money and a willingness to risk your liberty to challenge the police.

My warrant had the wrong date of observing my activity at the Green Circle, and even mentioned me by wrong name within the warrant.

Yes, I could have challenged the warrant and maybe have gotten it tossed, but there is a 50/50 chance that the judge will uphold it (or so advised my lawyer). Mistakes don't void a warrant, only intentionally deceitful ones do. If you do challenge and lose, there goes your chance to plea bargain. Class B has you looking at 15 years. Plea bargain will probably get you probation. What are you going to do?

The system is rigged so that plaintiffs don't get a chance at justice. It takes bigger balls and a deeper wallet than I have to get justice. If you are looking at a Class B, lawyers want 10k upfront. Yeah, I was ****ed over, because the warrant was bullshit. But the only option the system gives you is to take the plea.

[SLAG]

How does this place stay open if cops just sit and wait for customers?

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by SLAG

How does this place stay open if cops just sit and wait for customers?

Why would they shut it down when they can use it like fly paper?

[BlackHelicopters]

It's similar to waiting outside a bar waiting for the drunks to leave.

[SLAG]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Why would they shut it down when they can use it like fly paper?

I meant from the owners perspective.

How does the word not get out not to go to that business because you'll get popped..

From what I gather from reading this thread is that it happens with a some what regularity.

Why do people keep showing up? Its not like to Catch a Predator where they have a different house each time.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by SLAG

I meant from the owners perspective.

Probably on the take.

[Lzen]

Wow, this is an interesting report. I had no idea that this sort of thing existed.

http://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/...se-its-records

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by theelusiveeightrop

It's similar to waiting outside a bar waiting for the drunks to leave.

Perhaps, but not taking action for seven months? Were the cops expecting to find a basement full of hydroponic weed fully grown? Dipshits.

[Kidd Lex]

Originally Posted by Lzen

Wow, this is an interesting report. I had no idea that this sort of thing existed.

http://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/...se-its-records

Awful

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by Lzen

Wow, this is an interesting report. I had no idea that this sort of thing existed.

http://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/...se-its-records

Good lord, what a goat ****. That is a seriously ridiculous law in the books.

Kansas, lol.

[scho63]

Originally Posted by Dave Lane

Swat teams are raiding peoples homes for marijuana? Really?

In the last 10-15 years, so many police forces have been armed to the hilt with military style equipment and perform commando tactics on homes all the time.

Police state tactics and really scary.

In Hollywood there has been a large outbreak of pranks on celebrity homeowners with fake people calling 911 with armed gun and shooter stories that later turn out to be false. The SWAT teams are showing up with an army of police with all their weapons drawn and massive tanks and battering rams.

It's really screwed up.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by scho63

In the last 10-15 years, so many police forces have been armed to the hilt with military style equipment and perform commando tactics on homes all the time.

It just happened here. The disabled the home's security system and everything. Crazy.

[Ragged Robin]

Originally Posted by scho63

In the last 10-15 years, so many police forces have been armed to the hilt with military style equipment and perform commando tactics on homes all the time.

Police state tactics and really scary.

In Hollywood there has been a large outbreak of pranks on celebrity homeowners with fake people calling 911 with armed gun and shooter stories that later turn out to be false. The SWAT teams are showing up with an army of police with all their weapons drawn and massive tanks and battering rams.

It's really screwed up.

In Oregon last year they had SWAT invade and detain three 20 year old kids in their apartment because they were SUSPECTED to have KNOWN people who were at the May Day protest in Seattle and broke some windows. They were forced to testify in front of a grand jury and were held in prison for 4-5 months for civil contempt of court even though they couldn't be charged with actually doing any crimes or even proved to have even being apart of the protest

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle...jury_resisters

[Randallflagg]

Originally Posted by scho63

In the last 10-15 years, so many police forces have been armed to the hilt with military style equipment and perform commando tactics on homes all the time.

Police state tactics and really scary.

In Hollywood there has been a large outbreak of pranks on celebrity homeowners with fake people calling 911 with armed gun and shooter stories that later turn out to be false. The SWAT teams are showing up with an army of police with all their weapons drawn and massive tanks and battering rams.

It's really screwed up.

Indeed. And as a Viet Nam vet and career Army Warrant Officer I have been railing about the police forces being armed with 100 times more fire power than they need.

It's getting scary out there boys and girls..

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/not-your...ack-in-the-us/

Why I DO find funny is that in each story I've seen and heard, they are quick to say that the "gun turret" has been removed. They have not. Still there on top of each vehicle....