Issue Position: Privacy, Law Enforcement, and Searches and Seizures

Issue Position

Our individual privacy is constantly under assault in this electronic age of computers, surveillance cameras, drones, and other information-gathering devices. As an attorney, familiar with intricacies of the law, Martin will is always aware of potential threats to our privacy, and is constantly vigilant of attempted government intrusions into our lives.

Martin Daniel supports quick justice and the toughest sentences for those who commit violent crimes, but the "War against Drugs" is now, and has always been, an unequivocal failure. It unnecessarily costs taxpayers millions of dollars, by way of futile attempts at enforcement and by incarceration of non-violent criminals. Martin opposes costly mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent criminals and, instead, supports education and rehabilitation with those saved dollars.

Martin opposes the now-common practice of law enforcement's seizure of money and property without due process of law, otherwise known as "civil forfeiture". Such potentially arbitrary practices affect too many ordinary people and tend to result in policing for profit. In the 109th General Assembly, fulfilling a campaign pledge, he worked to curb these seizures. He supported two measures were passed that provided for regular reporting of these seizure incidents, and required that magistrates issuing warrants be licensed attorneys. There is more work to be done here, and this will be a priorty for him in the110th General Assembly.

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