Supreme Court Will Consider Excessive Fines Clause Asset Forfeiture Case
It will review Alaska's confiscation of a $95,000 plane arising from the pilot's illegal transportation of up to 72 cans of beer.
Civil Asset Forfeiture
Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Case of Alaska Pilot Whose $95,000 Plane Was Seized Over a 6-Pack of Beer
Ken Jouppi's Eighth Amendment challenge asks the Court to decide whether a fine must be proportional to the gravity of the crime.
Colorado Becomes Second State To Create Right to an Attorney When Police Seize Your Property
A bill tightening Colorado's civil asset forfeiture laws passed the state legislature by wide bipartisan margins and was signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis.
Most Civil Forfeiture Victims Never See the Inside of a Courtroom
Modest reforms have helped, but civil forfeiture remains legalized theft by government agencies.
Indiana Police Misplace More Than $30,000 Seized in Massage Parlor Raids
The raids took place after a detective with the state Protection for Abused and Trafficked Humans Law Enforcement Task Force got four penis massages.
When Police Can Keep Seized Cash, Abuse Follows
An Oklahoma City scandal highlights how civil forfeiture incentives undermine accountability and public trust.
A Tiny Alabama Town Ran an Outrageous Speed Trap. Now It Will Pay $1.5 Million To Settle a Lawsuit.
Brookside, Alabama, made national news in 2022 after investigations revealed it was bankrolling itself through predatory traffic enforcement.
Border Patrol Seized Her $40,000—Without Charging Her With a Crime
"We created a monster," says Brad Cates, who helped write civil forfeiture laws as director of the Justice Department's Asset Forfeiture office.
If You Give a Bear a Badge, Will It Respect Your Rights?
Despite their general ignorance of constitutional law, bears pose a much less grave threat to your civil liberties than humans do.
DHS Continues Airport Cash Seizures, a Year After the Justice Department Ended Them Due to Constitutional Concerns
A year ago the Justice Department suspended the DEA's airport interdiction program because of significant legal risks. The DHS is still using the same tactics.
How ICE Is Watching Your Thanksgiving Drive
ICE and Border Patrol are using license plate cameras for extensive domestic surveillance.
An Alaska Man's $95,000 Plane Was Seized Over a 6-Pack of Beer. Now He's Taking His Case to the Supreme Court.
Alaska has been trying to seize Ken Jouppi's Cessna for 13 years over a misdemeanor crime.
Compensation for Legal Fees Is a Critical Protection Against Civil Forfeiture Abuses
A recent federal appeals court decision underlines the importance of that safeguard.
The FBI Seized Her $40,000 Without Explaining Why. She Fought Back Against That Practice—and Lost.
The twist underscores just how little accountability exists in civil forfeiture, which allows law enforcement to seize assets without charging the owner with a crime.
Legalize All Drugs! Reason Versus City Journal
City Journal's Rafael Mangual and Charles Fain Lehman debate Reason's Billy Binion and Jacob Sullum on legalizing all drugs.
South Carolina County Ends Its Civil Forfeiture Blitz After 20 Years
It’s time for the rest of the state to stop illegal searches and seizures that enrich police departments.
A Prosecutor Allegedly Tried To Jail Him for Fighting Civil Forfeiture. He May Finally Get His Day in Court.
Law enforcement seized Robert Reeves' Chevrolet Camaro without charging him with a crime. After he filed a class-action lawsuit, that changed.
Ex–Hialeah Police Chief Arrested for Skimming at Least $600,000 in Cash From Drug Funds
State investigators say millions went missing from two narcotics funds controlled by former Hialeah Police Chief Sergio Velazquez, including seized cash from drug investigations.
The Man Who Fought Chicago for His Cadillac—and Never Got It Back
Spencer Byrd's case helped spark reforms and a federal lawsuit, but he died before seeing justice.
The FBI Seized This Woman's Life Savings—Without Telling Her Why
Linda Martin's lawsuit alleges that the agency violated her right to due process when it took her $40,200 and sent her a notice failing to articulate the reason.
Hawaii Can Auction Off Your Car Without Ever Convicting You
Civil forfeiture allows the government of Hawaii to take your property and sell it for profit without proving you did anything wrong.
DEA Ends Airport Gate Searches After Years of Documented Abuses of Civil Asset Forfeiture
The Justice Department temporarily suspended the program in November because of "significant risks" of constitutional violations.
Nevada Judge to Nevada Cops: You Can't Use This Loophole To Get Around Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform
The Nevada Highway Patrol exceeded its legal authority when it seized nearly $90,000 in cash from Stephen Lara in 2023 and then handed the case to the DEA.
Help Reason Help Individuals Crushed by the State
Your donations make it easier for us publicize so very many cases of outrageous injustice
Indiana Cops Seized Their Cash From a FedEx Hub. Prosecutors Just Agreed To Return It.
A class action lawsuit claims Indianapolis law enforcement is using civil asset forfeiture to seize millions in cash from packages routed through a major FedEx hub, without notifying the owners of what crime they're suspected of committing.
Justice Department Orders DEA to Halt Airport Searches Because of 'Significant Issues' With Cash Seizures
The DEA paid one airline employee tens of thousands of dollars to snoop on travel itineraries and flag passengers for searches.
Review: An Action Movie About Civil Asset Forfeiture
Netflix's Rebel Ridge is a thrilling tale about an ordinary man wronged by an unjust system.
Chip Mellor's Legacy Promotes a Broader Concept of Civil Liberties
For more than three decades, the Institute for Justice has shown that economic freedom and private property are essential safeguards for ordinary Americans.
A Movie Mirrors the Stranger-Than-Fiction Reality of Civil Asset Forfeiture
The outrageous seizure at the center of Rebel Ridge resembles real-life cash grabs.
Rebel Ridge, Netflix's Civil Asset Forfeiture Revenge Flick, Is a Thrilling Political Action Movie
Writer-director Jeremy Saulnier's movie is the rarest of things: a taut, tense thriller about...public policy.
Lawsuit Claims Indiana Unconstitutionally Seizes Millions in Cash From FedEx Packages Every Year
The Institute for Justice says Indianapolis police and prosecutors are exploiting one of the biggest FedEx hubs in the U.S. to seize cash for alleged crimes they never explain.
Pit Stop Policing Transforms Traffic Violations Into High-Stakes Drug Hunts
South Carolina's Operation Rolling Thunder targets cash and contraband but harasses guilty and innocent travelers alike.
Rebel Ridge Is an Upcoming Action Movie About Civil Asset Forfeiture Abuse
The explosions may be fake, but the nightmare scenario is ripped from the headlines.
South Carolina Cops and Courts Rig the Game Against Drivers
An uneven playing field allows the aggressive tactics and legal loopholes that turn traffic stops into cash grabs.
Inside the Unchecked Bus Searches by South Carolina Police
Routine searches of commercial buses violate privacy, target low-income passengers, and result in widespread violations.
South Carolina Cops Target Out-of-State Drivers for Highway Robbery
No arrest necessary as South Carolina police hunt for cash
Operation Rolling Thunder: The Shocking Truth Behind Spartanburg's Traffic Stops
A 21-month legal battle unveils the dark side of South Carolina's annual traffic crackdown.
Michigan Supreme Court Rules Against Detroit's Asset Forfeiture Racket
The ruling is the second recent court decision that has curbed Detroit's aggressive vehicle forfeiture program.
Republicans Upset by Trump's Conviction Should Embrace Criminal Justice Reform
The MAGA movement has suddenly discovered the evils of politicized prosecutions, inequities in the justice system, and fear of police abuse.
Supreme Court Issues Flawed Ruling in Asset Forfeiture Case
But Justice Neil Gorsuch's concurring opinion suggests the Court may curb asset forfeiture in the future.
Supreme Court Rules No Due Process Right to Preliminary Hearings in Civil Asset Forfeiture Cases
The cars of two Alabama women were seized for more than a year before courts found they were innocent owners. The Supreme Court says they had no constitutional right to a preliminary hearing.
Illinois Won't Let Him Do His Job Filing Paperwork—Unless He Gets a Private Detective License
David Knott helps clients retrieve unclaimed property from the government. The state has made it considerably harder for him to do that.
The Kansas Legislature Unanimously Passed a Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Bill
Kansas had among the most lax civil asset forfeiture laws in the country, but a bill sent to the governor's desk would strengthen protections for property owners.
Kansas Police Seized Her Truck. It Took Her 8 Months To Get it Back, Despite Never Being Charged With a Crime.
Dewonna Goodridge quickly discovered that Kansas civil asset forfeiture laws were stacked against her when sheriff's deputies seized her truck.
Don't Let Crime Fears Undermine Americans' Rights
Amid fear of rising crime, let's take a careful and deliberate approach—lest innocent people lose their rights and property.
Goodbye, Navalny
Plus: A listener asks if the editors have criteria for what constitutes a good law.
Prosecutor Fani Willis Touts the Value of Cash, but What About the Rest of Us?
Unfortunately, Willis’s Fulton County includes assets seized from non-prosecutors in its budget.
An Alabama Couple's Lives Were Upended by an Unconstitutional Police Raid. A Jury Awarded Them $1 Million.
Greg and Teresa Almond lost their house and livelihood over a misdemeanor drug crime. Sheriff's deputies never got a warrant to search their house.
