Friday Netflix Noodle

Well y’all… yours truly, Unruly (Quaker), is down with Covid. Again. Maybe the 4th time’s a charm? Ugh. “Covid lollipops” all around my house. UGH.

But! I do have a quick under-the-radar movie recommendation for those of you in the mood for a taut thriller.

Behold the regrettably, forgettably titled “Rebel Ridge” on Netflix. Released today to exactly zero fanfare, I found out about it from this article in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/04/rebel-ridge-review-netflix?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

It’s not a relaxing watch. But it’s engrossing enough to make Covid feel less miserable for two hours.

And not for nothing, the first 20 minutes of “Rebel Ridge” is one of the most realistic depictions of civil asset forfeiture (abuse) I’ve seen on screen. Asset forfeiture is a real thing, technically legal, and honestly? It happens a lot.

What is asset forfeiture? Quoth the ACLU: “…. Civil forfeiture allows police to seize — and then keep or sell — any property they allege is involved in a crime. Owners need not ever be arrested or convicted of a crime for their cash, cars, or even real estate to be taken away permanently by the government.”

Source: https://www.aclu.org/issues/criminal-law-reform/reforming-police/asset-forfeiture-abuse

I don’t have the brain capacity to write more about it right now, but civil asset forfeiture is so ubiquitous that it is a funding stream that many law enforcement agencies have come to rely on.

Here’s a round-up of many examples, and some legislation that has tried to rein it in:

https://www.themarshallproject.org/records/2217-asset-forfeiture-abuse

Be well, y’all.

XOXO