Loveless Learns Of Warrants For Outstanding Traffic Tickets

A state senator who is an out spoken opponent of the civil asset forfeiture law was in trouble with the law himself. 

Senator Kyle Loveless, (R – District 45), has made no secret about his opposition to civil asset forfeiture. That’s where police can seize property and cash without filing criminal charges and without a warrant, as long as they have probable cause to believe that the property is somehow tied to a crime. 

Loveless says he wants to ride along with police to learn more, but was turned away because of his own legal issues.

Last month, News 9 took you along for a ride along with the Oklahoma County COMIT team; a mix of city police officers and county deputies that perform drug interdiction traffic stops. One of their tools is the ability to seize money and property from suspected drug traffickers. 

Loveless had planned to ride along too, but was turned down by the district attorney because of an outstanding warrant. 

"I guess someone who saw your story delivered a bunch of information to me regarding active warrants that Senator Loveless had at that time related to an Oklahoma City traffic ticket that hadn't been paid," said Oklahoma County District Attorney, David Prater.

Prater would not say who tipped him off, but says it’s not appropriate for the senator to ride with the interdiction team because of what he calls a “pattern” of the senator blowing off court. 

"If Senator Loveless had been riding with the Oklahoma City officers, there's a potential that he could have been arrested had those officers learned about his warrant."

Loveless admits he made a mistake and forgot about the ticket. 

"It should have been paid. No doubt about it,” Loveless said. “And I wasn't aware of it...that it hadn't been paid.  And so as soon as I found out about it I made a few phone calls, paid it, got my license re-instated and everything's kosher."

But he says this is just a red herring. 

“I still think that he's using a diversionary tactic to get away from should the government be able to take people's property without charges?" Loveless said. "So I would still like to go along. I would still like to ride and see the reasons."

Prater says that ship has sailed. 

"No, I’m not interested in having him ride. If he's, if he has that disregard, that much disregard for the law and for the laws that he's involved in writing, I’m not interested in him being a part of it,” Prater said. “He can go do whatever he wants to do with his legislation we'll deal with it on the floor."