Not true at all. In fact the solution is infuriatingly obvious. Require a warrant for all civil forfeitures. The proponents say it's for taking down assets of cartels (and probably alleged purveyors of black markets like in this case) so warrant is easy to get. This would prevent cops rolling average citizens on routine traffic stops so they can finance margarita machines with "pennies from heaven".
A reform like this should be an easy bi-partisan sell to congress. If they can't do it at the Federal level any pol that campaigned as a libertarian or champion of small government should be pushing for this in state legislatures.
Ulbrict is being given due process. He is also being given a fair trial. My observation is simply that there's no logical way he could have earned 50,000 BTC except by being an early miner or by running Silkroad, and apparently he wasn't an early miner.
Why is that important? Because if you're trying to change asset forfeiture, choosing which case to fight and who to defend is extraordinarily important. Let's say that the supreme court decides to reevaluate asset forfeiture, and let's say you've chosen Ulbrict as the case for them to reevaluate. Why give them more reasons to say "Our finding is that asset forfeiture is a legal and valid practice, and should not change"? By choosing Ulbrict, you aren't helping your cause.
A verdict like that will settle the debate of asset forfeiture for decades to come, so why risk such a crucial outcome so whimsically?
I don't know how to make it any clearer, either you understand that having a lawful society requires following the law to the letter even if something is painfully obvious, or you don't.
Your rationalization appears to boil down to "the status quo is the status quo, so we shouldn't bother trying to change it."
Every single article that comes up about DPR or Silk Road, you post multiple comments prejudging literally every facet of the case. The quote above from you is a perfect example. Suppose for a minute that in addition to running the Silk Road, DPR also had a massive mining operation with multiple ASIC processors. Makes sense, right? His whole business was based on BTC - why in the world wouldn't he participate as a miner?
That is just one way that some or possibly all of the 50,000 coins at issue could have been obtained by DPR legally. Ya know, I hope you never get to find out what it's like to be accused of something because then you'll get to see what it feels like when people like you prejudge your guilt.
It's interesting how unapologetically ravenous people will be.
Also, if DPR was an early miner, then surely he would have said that by now.
http://www.popehat.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/UlbrichtMa...
http://www.popehat.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/UlbrichtCr...
You could make your case without statements like that.
Also, he is getting a fair trial.
While that may be beside the point, a rousing speech about how asset forfeiture should be changed would resonate more strongly if the subject was someone other than a person who hired people to murder others.
Also, it seems like supreme court justices aren't going to turn against asset forfeiture any time soon, so there's really no way to stop the practice.
EDIT: It's interesting how far people are twisting my words. I made two assertions: One, that there is no way Ulbrict obtained those coins legally, so if you want to reform asset forfeiture, choosing Ulbrict as your mascot would be a tactical mistake. Two, that unless you can convince the supreme court justices to turn against asset forfeiture, the practice will not change.
If you're reading into my words more than those two assertions, you're reading too far.