In the small town of Brookside, Alabama, dozens—if not hundreds—of residents share a shockingly similar story:

• They were pulled over for a patently spurious reason, or with no explanation at all.

• Before a police officer even walked up to the car, a tow truck had arrived.

• They were handcuffed and searched, and then their car was impounded. Often, police would refuse to look at insurance information to justify taking the vehicle under “no insurance” allegations.

• Innocent people were left stranded on the side of the highway—some, like Brandon Jones, with their children as young as two years old.

• And all were forced to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars to get their cars back.

It’s a scene reminiscent of organized crime. Yet the town’s mayor and police chief not only admit to this scheme but boast about how it has wrung nearly half of the town’s budget from its residents.

Earlier this week, IJ filed a sweeping class action lawsuit to stop Brookside’s predatory policing. Far-reaching cases like this are massive undertakings, and the support of generous donors ensures that IJ can keep up the heat no matter how long it takes to end the town’s abuses once and for all. I hope you will stand with us as we fight to establish broad constitutional protections for property rights, due process, and other fundamental freedoms.

Scott

Scott G. Bullock
President and General Counsel
Institute for Justice

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