Thread: CO - Judge rules tax forms search was illegal

Tuesday, March 10, 2009Judge rules tax forms search was illegal
Scroll down for PDF download of the ruling
Sharon Dunn

What is probable cause?
Probable cause indicates law enforcement officials have specific evidence that leads them to believe that a suspect committed a crime or that evidence of a crime will be found upon a search.A Weld District Court judge on Monday ruled that investigators illegally searched a Greeley tax preparation service to find evidence of immigrants using false Social Security numbers.

Weld District Court Judge James Hartmann issued a 30-page ruling that essentially said a warrant allowing investigators to rummage through 5,000 tax files to find 1,338 cases of suspected identity theft and criminal impersonation last October had more suspicion than probable cause.

The ruling applies specifically to the case of defendant Ramon Gutierrez but could apply to other cases Hartmann will hear involving Operation Number Games.

“The court will grant the motion to exclude evidence obtained during the search of Amalia’s Tax Services as these documents were seized in violation of the Fourth Amendment,â€

Common scene and basic deduction based on fact in our country has come to an end!! Good detective work is illegal now!?

Sounds like they had probable cause to me. During their previous investigation they found evidence that this tax service aided and abetted illegalsm (and workers probably spoke Spanish to further aid and abet). To find that over 1300 have fraudulent or stolen documents as the basis for messing with the IRS and then this judge quashing submission of this evidence should have this judge investigated by the feds. Either that or throw him off the bench for anti-American stupidity.