An Americans for Prosperity Foundation report found that less than a quarter of people who had property seized through asset forfeiture by Kansas police were ever convicted of a crime.
The change represents a substantial reversal of civil forfeiture reforms aimed at protecting innocent property owners.
"Extortion, there's no other way to explain it," the couple's attorney says.
As law enforcement agencies patrol for profit, the secrecy surrounding cash seizures must stop.
The settlement came after the Justice Department agreed to return more than $1 million in proceeds from state-licensed marijuana businesses in California.
Empyreal Logistics agreed to drop its claims against the Justice Department, but it is still suing San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus.
Going after oligarchs breathes new life into sketchy asset forfeiture powers.
After Rochester police took her cash, Cristal Starling found out just how hard it is to challenge civil asset forfeiture in court.
Terry Abbott couldn't afford representation, because the state took the cash he'd use to pay for it.
Turning in your innocent friends and neighbors for having large amounts of cash is touted as a new source of income by the FBI.
"This is very bad for property rights."
The punishment is a bit rich considering the government's own mishandling of pandemic cash.
Patrick Card's story is a case study in how the state uses civil forfeiture to try to coerce plea bargains.
A new bill in Kansas seeks to make it harder for cops to seize assets without a criminal conviction.
"It's completely changed my belief in fairness," says Amy Sterner Nelson.
Police seized more than $100,000 in cash from a 25-year-old Chicago woman for not correctly describing what her suitcase looked like.
San Bernardino County deputies stopped the same armored-car driver twice and took nearly $1.1 million in cash owned by legal marijuana dispensaries.
A federal judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order, saying the evidence of legal violations is insufficient at this point.
Last week, Chief Mike Jones defended his campaign of fining everybody in sight. This week, he resigned.
Brookside officers have been accused of fabricating violations and are being sued.
The Institute for Justice argues that the seizures violated state law, federal law, and the U.S. Constitution.
Civil liberties advocates say the law is just a reheated version of flawed state anti-gang law.
And some state politicians are talking about asset forfeiture reform.
Plus two more topics to howl about...
Despite civil asset forfeiture reforms in Florida, police are still finding ways to take people's stuff.
A police dog's alert prompted the search, and the money was seized via civil asset forfeiture.
Malinda Harris’ ordeal shows how easily the government can take innocent people’s property under civil forfeiture laws.
The officers admit there's nothing illegal about carrying large amounts of cash, then take almost $90,000 from him anyway.
Keddins Etienne's experience shows that bullies who seize innocent people's property tend to back down when their victims put up a fight.
Federal prosecutors agreed to drop a civil asset forfeiture case against Kermit Warren's $28,000 in cash, which he said he was trying to buy a tow truck with.
"What they're doing is like robbery," observed one property owner.
Richard Martinez lost his dream car because of VIN-plate issues prosecutors admit he was "not aware of."
A state watchdog concluded an office in the Georgia Department of Tax Revenue illegally kept $5 million in forfeiture funds and spent it partially on swag like sunglasses and engraved guns
A couple claims the Harris County Sheriff's Office in Texas seized their life savings two years ago on suspicion of drug trafficking. A new lawsuit says they're not the only ones.
The case is the latest example of people who say their savings were seized in airports, despite it being perfectly legal to fly domestically with large amounts of cash.
The commission says the legislature should raise the standard of proof and remove the financial incentive that encourages cops and prosecutors to pursue profit instead of public safety.
Canadian County Sheriff's deputies said Thai Nang's cash was drug money. He says he was buying land, and a local news outlet was easily able to find records backing his story up.
A new law will require a criminal conviction before property can be seized.
The bill would limit petty seizures and require more reporting and oversight of no-knock raids.
"It makes me feel like the government is preying on the vulnerable and the weak to line their own pockets."
The question of proportionality assumes that punishment is appropriate for peaceful conduct that violates no one's rights.
The case has generated three state supreme court decisions, plus a landmark ruling by the federal Supreme Court.
After eight years, Tyson Timbs finally gets to keep his Land Rover—once and for all.
In a lawsuit, attorneys for the box's owner allege that federal agents conducted an illegal search that may have resulted in the loss of some valuable gold coins.
A requirement that law enforcement obtain a conviction before it can forfeit property was stripped from the bill.