A. Barton Hinkle on the Civil Asset Forfeiture Racket
Hey, here's a great crime-fighting idea: Let's give local police and prosecutors the authority to seize cash, cars, homes, and other property from private citizens—without a court convicting those citizens of any crime. Without, in fact, even charging those citizens with any crime. Then, explains A. Barton Hinkle, we'll let the authorities sell the goods and keep the proceeds for themselves.
What could possibly go wrong?