Camp Zoe Seized By The Feds

[Gavin]

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_f8a1fdec-7e8d-5834-b89f-53db236d9730.html

Seems a bit extreme...Seizing a hippies land for doing what hippies do.

[fishinwrench]

I saw that the other day, it's rediculis but is a prime example of the way things (freedom) are changing.

Concerts have been going on for ever before this, people entered without being screened... you paid a cover charge and got stamped on the hand, no showing of SSN or any type of ID.

What did they expect the people from Camp Zoe to do... take photo ID's and follow each and every person that attended the concert ? Or monitor the crowd with surveillance cameras and submit the video files to LE at the end of every nite ?

I'm sure lawyers just LOVE the new America. But it makes me wanna puke.

[Mitch f]

It may be extreme or maybe not. I'll bet no one really knows what was going on. If they were damaging other people's property or creating a nuisance they probably should have been fined. Maybe they had been warned several times and this was the last straw. I have to tell you, if I had a neighboring property, I wouldn't want a bunch of hippies doing drugs on the next farm over. If they were having "Woodstock" like festivals then I can guarantee you they were doing damage to neighboring farms. A friend of mine had a daughter who would attend these type of events, he said it was nothing but drugs.

[fishinwrench]

Mitch, the people have not been charged with anything.... they are just going to milk them for every dime they have in a legal fight in an attempt to sieze their property. If they can keep them tied up in a court battle long enough for the Camp Zoe people to go broke, they win.

You support that kinda justice, dude ?

What if instead of it being a "concert" it was a fishing conclave, a trapshoot, or a turkey calling tournament ?

[Mitch f]

Mitch, the people have not been charged with anything.... they are just going to milk them for every dime they have in a legal fight in an attempt to sieze their property. If they can keep them tied up in a court battle long enough for the Camp Zoe people to go broke, they win.

You support that kinda justice, dude ?

First of all, I'm not a dude, I'm a man. I don't support that kind of justice, however I think they must have had quite a bit of complaints and where there's smoke there's fire.

[Guest csfishinfool]

I've been to camp zoe for shwagstock. Usually a really fun time, and good music. But definatly no suprise that the feds stuck their heads in there. The local cops in Salem, or whatever county its in knew for a long time what was going on. They checked every car for drivers license, and insurance. If you didn't have it then you were meeting the drug dog.

[Gavin]

Think the camp is around 350 acres...doubful that a bunch of stoners had the will to leave the party to do significant damage other peoples property...The LEO's certainly had it in for em though...I've seen several check points near the Round Spring Bridge on Hwy 19 when something was going on down there, and who says it was the Zoe folks doing damage to surrounding properties? Thousands of party floaters put in & take out at Round Spring on the Current on any summer Saturday. Those folks do allot of damage too.

I've never attended any of their events, but this reeks of jack booted thuggery..Looks like they couldnt get the owner on anything after a 4 year investigation, so they seize his land & bank account without filing charges. Welcome to the new America!

[Mitch f]

Think the camp is around 350 acres...doubful that a bunch of stoners had the will to leave the party to do significant damage other peoples property...The LEO's certainly had it in for em though...I've seen several check points near the Round Spring Bridge on Hwy 19 when something was going on down there, and who says it was the Zoe folks doing damage to surrounding properties? Thousands of party floaters put in & take out at Round Spring on the Current on any summer Saturday. Those folks do allot of damage too.

I've never attended any of their events, but this reeks of jack booted thuggery..Looks like they couldnt get the owner on anything after a 4 year investigation, so they seize his land & bank account without filing charges. Welcome to the new America!

If what you're saying is true, it's a travesty. I'm the biggest advocate of not letting the government have too much power. On the other hand, I'd like to hear the other side of the story too! then we can form a circle and sing "Give Peace a Chance" before we call up Billy Jack and have him kick some butt.

[Brian Sloss]

This seems heavy handed and unfair to me. How can you find a lawyer of your choice if they take your money. Seems to me they would have bigger fish to fry than a Grateful Dead cover band.

[Gavin]

No denying that the place was a nuisance Mitch. I just dont like how they took his property. Last thing I'd ever want is for one of my daughters to attend an event at that place...same can be said about the St. Louis Mardi Gras...People go to both of those places to get drunk & stupid...and thats fine with me if you into that. Stay home if your not. FWIW, I go to Mardi Gras...but Zoe isnt my kinda crowd. Cheers.