For starters, half of the clients on the Bronx Public Defenders' roster say they were never given an itemized receipt for their seized property.
But then you need a signed letter from the DA saying your stuff isn't evidence anymore. The Bronx DA doesn't give those out, generally speaking (nor does the DA's office explain why they won't send such a letter)
How can this happen? Both activities are part of due diligence in police procedures and the legal system and even with the minimal police training in the US* an absolutely fundemental building block of a constitutional state.
* compared to everywhere else
