Nov 28 2007
San Diego County Searches Welfare Recipients’ Homes
GUEST: Eric Isaacson, Partner in the law firm, Coughlin-Stoia, and cooperating attorney with the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties
If you live in San Diego and are a welfare recipient, investigators from the County’s DA office can show up unannounced and without a warrant to search your home in order to to confirm that you are eligible for government aid. Failure to submit to the searches results in losing your eligibility for welfare benefits. But attorneys with the ACLU, acting on behalf of six single parents say the 10 year old practice violates the Fourth Amendment, which prohibits unreasonable searches. A federal judge ruled the searches to be constitutional for San Diego County, and a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that ruling in a 2-1 decision. However, later on, eight judges filed a dissent and argued that the full 9th Circuit should reconsider the panel’s ruling saying, “this case is nothing less than an attack on the poor.” But this Monday the US Supreme Court rejected the legal challenge to this practice without comment.
7 Responses to “San Diego County Searches Welfare Recipients’ Homes”
Attack on the poor? No it is a screening process to prevent fraud. DO NOT call welfare recipients poor. The poor work for a living welfare recipients DO NOT. If you want privacy then support yourself. If my tax dollars are paying for your shelter, food, and giving you spending money then where you live is PUBLIC not private domain. I’m surprised California has the guts to do something like this. I hope all states start emulating.
I am glad investigations like this is comming back. IT IS ABOUT TIME!.. some many of these mothers make poor choices with men that have nothing to offer them as well as wemen that leave their children behind for men to support and care for. Sometime men are better parents. working in the correction system for many years, I notice so many wemen adding money to the prisoners books (welfare money) in which this is to provide for the feeding of their children. There should be a LAW that all money collected at any jail, prison or detention facility from any AFDC recepient should go back to the State. Just like the DL. place a black- stip on their debit card and slide it through. Come up with a release form that should be signed by the recipeint let them know how this would affect their AID. The money used in these collections should be used for the system to be up-graded in order to detect this information.RECYCLE this money in a good way. The Governemnt has been too easy on the wrong people. Help The Elderly,VETS,give a bonus to those that have children and keep a job. Sometimes we have to go back to THE OLD SCHOOL!
I agree that if you are on the State’s budget, then you should be not only subject to search but extensive verification for eligibility. I recently saw a sting on a very newly completed low income housing area. It is in a great neighborhood and it is simply gorgeous. I rode through there one day just to get a closer look, and guess what I saw a lot of Lexus’, BMW’s, Escalades’, a couple of MB’s, and other top of the line vehicles such as Toyotas, Nissans, etc. Hell they were driving way better vehicle than I was and to be able to live in a nice place. Since most of these women have men and these men do live with them; that is why there should be more searches. Aid that is intended to be used to feed this woman’s kids are instead being bartered for drugs or other non-essential items; and the men are eating and reaping the benefits for free. Most of those men are also not working and feel they have “game” to get over on a welfare mom’s check. I am a disabled Vet fighting for my eligibility to receive benefits that I earned while serving my country; yet these people get something for nothing; and I bet that some of those men never served our country except for time in prison. I am witness to a young woman of 28 years old who has been pregnant 5 times or more in a 3 year period. She has aborted on three of those occurences, but is now again pregnant and she doesn’t know which of three men are the father. Her two other kids have just be taken by CPS due to neglect, but her idea is “I’ll just have more kids”. This attitude has to be put in hard check. She has stated that she does not miss her kids, she misses the money!
i dont agree!! it is a wrong to come into a home and search! not all of us are bad mothers or drug addicts. ok some have never been introuble with the law and had just a bad time . I have a collage degree and still cant find work! is that my fault no! if the goverment wont help with jobs then what can one do to feed and house there kids. and i didnt make a poor choice with men my husband died. was that my fault no!
There is a real bad sprit on this country when you are suppose to be innocent until proven guilty but by the standards of the great USA, they rather kill the poor then feed them. I challenge any American to go trough hard times and see how much your country care for you! Get back to self because Big Brother really don’t give a dam about the poor.
Visited my kids and a welfare check was being performed and it was like slavery days all over again. Hide master is coming and if your caugh you will be wipped. Go ahead and get my child support but make sure i dont hang arround to long!
Hello there! I know this is kinda off topic but
I was wondering if you knew where I could find a captcha plugin for my comment form?
I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having trouble finding one?
Thanks a lot!
Feel free to surf to my blog :: Kantor Pengacara Perceraian