Why Did Arizona Democrats Kill a Bill Protecting Citizens From Police Overreach?
It’s all about the revenue. Civil forfeiture brings in money, and lawmakers are more worried about their budgets than residents’ due process and property rights.
Civil Asset Forfeiture
ICE Agents Fight Sex Trafficking by Paying Potential Victims for Hand Jobs
In "Operation Asian Touch," federal agents coerced suspected human-trafficking victims into sex acts. Local cops seized money and threw them in jail.
Michigan County Prosecutor Charged With Embezzling Asset Forfeiture Funds
And he's far from the first prosecutor to be caught with his hand in the asset forfeiture cookie jar.
DEA Will Return $82K Life Savings It Seized From an Elderly Pittsburgh Man and His Daughter
Neither Terry Rolin or his daughter were ever charged with a crime, but that didn't stop the DEA from trying to seize more than $82,000 from them through civil asset forfeiture.
Class-Action Lawsuit Challenges Detroit's Asset Forfeiture Racket
The lawsuit says Wayne County police stop and seize cars simply for entering or leaving certain areas.
Family Sues DEA and TSA After Elderly Man's Life Savings Were Seized at Airport
A class-action lawsuit is now challenging the DEA's habit of seizing large amounts of cash from travelers without evidence of any crime.
New Jersey Passes Civil Asset Forfeiture Reforms
New Jersey took two major steps toward increasing transparency and strengthening protections for property owners against civil asset forfeiture.
Missouri Cops Used Federal Loophole To Seize $2.6 Million From Drivers Who They Never Charged With Crimes
St. Charles County law enforcement used shady practices to seize motorists' assets without convictions.
California Threatens Landlords of Unlicensed Pot Shops With Prosecution
The drug wars will continue until the state gets its cut of the money.
With This Forfeiture Trick, Innocent Owners Lose Even When They Win
The Institute for Justice asks the Supreme Court to block sneaky tactics that prevent victims of property grabs from recovering their legal costs.
Georgia Prosecutors Seized a Crab Shack Over Gambling Charges. A State Supreme Court Ruling Could Decide the Fate of Gaming in the State.
Prosecutors are hiring private attorneys to pursue asset forfeiture charges against establishments that offer coin-operated gaming.
Pending Ban on Flavored E-Cigarettes in Massachusetts Authorizes Forfeiture of Vapers' Cars
The bill, which the state House passed yesterday, says police may seize vehicles in which they find untaxed vaping products.
A Michigan Man Underpaid His Property Taxes By $8.41. The County Seized His Property, Sold It—and Kept the Profits.
A state law allows counties to effectively steal homes over unpaid taxes and keep the excess revenue for their own budgets.
Indiana Supreme Court Applies Eighth Amendment to Curb "Oppressive" Asset Forfeitures
The ruling is a continuation of the same case in which the federal Supreme Court ruled that the Excessive Fines Clause of the Eighth Amendment is "incorporated" against state governments and applies to asset forfeitures.
S.C. Judge Rules the Obvious: It's Unconstitutional for Police to Seize and Keep People's Property Without Proving They Committed Crimes
Law enforcement and prosecutors have seized millions from people they’ve arrested. That might be coming to an end.
Federal Court Rules State Judges Cannot Profit From Fines and Fees Imposed on Defendants in the Cases Before Them
If the court that hears the cases stands to profit from the fines paid by defendants, that's a violation of the Due Process Clause of the Constitution. The rulings have potential implications for other, similar conflicts of interest in the criminal justice system.
A DEA Agent Got a Drug Dealer to Buy a Truck So the Agent Could Seize it Through Asset Forfeiture
Former DEA special agent Chad Scott has been convicted of perjury, obstruction of justice, and falsifying government records.
Bernie Sanders Calls for Legalizing Marijuana and Curtailing Asset Forfeiture in Sprawling Criminal Justice Plan
Sanders' plan takes aim at every part of the justice system, including typical Sanders targets like private prisons and corporate "profiteers."
Iowa Cops Buy an Armored Vehicle With $300,000 in Asset Forfeiture Funds
It's a nasty mix of police militarization and civil asset forfeiture.
Backpage Prosecutors Want to Seize Assets First, Answer Questions Later
Aggressive asset forfeiture collides with First Amendment rights.
Indiana Is Still Arguing That It's Constitutional To Seize Your Car for Driving 5 MPH Over the Speed Limit
"Historically the answer to that question is yes, and we're sticking with that position here."
New Law Stops IRS From Stealing People's Money Simply Because It Deems Their Bank Deposits Suspiciously Small
A provision of the Taxpayer First Act requires evidence of other illegal activity for seizures based on "structuring" and mandates prompt hearings.
The FBI Hopes These Cute Puppies Will Distract You From Unconstitutional Civil Asset Forfeitures
Surrender the Fifth Amendment or the dog dies.
Asset Forfeiture Funding Has Little Impact on Solving Crimes, Says New Study
A new study by the Institute for Justice says federal asset forfeiture funds have little to no impact on solving crimes, suggesting police are more interested in the revenue it generates
Alabama Passes New Transparency Requirements for Civil Asset Forfeiture
Alabama is one of the least transparent states in the U.S. when it comes to civil asset forfeiture. That could be changing.
Michigan Police Won't Be Able to Seize People's Cars for Suspected Drug Crimes Anymore
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed three bills to limit civil asset forfeiture.
North Dakota Makes it Harder for Police to Take Property Without a Conviction
Police had wide authority to seize assets without having to prove a crime even happened, but now the state is tightening the rules.
Alabama Police Ruined a Couple's Lives Over $50 of Weed. Now the Charges Against Them Have Been Dropped
Greg and Teresa Almond filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Randolph County Sheriff's Department after it raided their house and seized their savings for a misdemeanor pot offense.
Alabama Cops Raided Their House, Seized Their Cash, and Ruined Their Lives Over $50 of Marijuana
Greg and Teresa Almond lost their house after a financially devastating drug raid involving civil asset forfeiture.
Testimony on Asset Forfeiture Before the Arkansas State Advisory Committee to the US Commission on Civil Rights
My testimony addressed the general problem of asset forfeiture, the potential impact of the Supreme Court's recent decision in Timbs v. Indiana, and Arkansas' recent reform law.
In the Space of One Minute, Joe Biden Defends the Death Penalty for Drug Dealers, Asset Forfeiture, and Mandatory Minimums
This 1991 Senate floor speech shows Biden's central role in crafting disastrous crime policies.
Manhattan D.A. Spent $250K in Asset Forfeiture Funds on Fine Dining and Luxurious Travel
The expenses included five-star Parisian hotels and sumptuous dinners.
Arkansas Legislature Effectively Votes To Abolish Civil Asset Forfeiture
Arkansas joins three other states in requiring police secure a conviction before they can seize a person's property.
Pennsylvania Prosecutor Used Asset Forfeiture Funds To Lease SUV
County officials say the Lancaster County district attorney's use of $20,000 in funds intended for drug enforcement to lease an SUV is "improper."
Michigan May Stop Police From Seizing Property Without Getting a Conviction First
Reports show Michigan police seize cash and cars from hundreds of people who are never convicted of a crime. Momentum is building to stop it.
Brett Kavanaugh Flunks His First Test as an Originalist
Unlike Thomas and Gorsuch, Kavanaugh stayed mum on originalism in a major constitutional case.
Supreme Court Rules that Excessive Fines Clause Applies to States and Constrains Civil Asset Forfeiture
The decision in Timbs v. Indiana is a significant step forward for property rights and civil liberties, though a key issue remains to be resolved by lower courts.
Supreme Court Delivers Unanimous Victory for Asset Forfeiture Challenge
The Eighth Amendment prohibition against excessive fines and fees applies to states as well, SCOTUS rules, opening a new way to challenge outlandish forfeitures.
How the Feds Are Using Civil Asset Forfeiture to Threaten Free Speech
Sex, publishing, and quasi-legal theft collide in the Backpage prosecution.
Trump Wants To Raid an Asset Forfeiture Black-Box Fund To Build His Border Wall
"Exactly what sources and what individuals this money comes from is obscure, and it's obscure because that's the way the federal government wants it."
South Carolina Lawmakers Introduce Asset Forfeiture Reform Bill After News Investigation Reveals Abuses
South Carolina would become the fourth state to abolish the practice of seizing property without a criminal conviction.
The SUV That's About To Change Asset Forfeiture Rules Nationwide
The future of civil asset forfeiture law in the United States now revolves around a single Land Rover.
South Carolina Police Hauled in $17 Million Through Civil Asset Forfeiture Over Three Years
"The robber didn't get anything, but the police got everything."
Hello, FIRST STEP Act! Goodbye, Jeff Sessions! The Year in Criminal Justice Reform
2018 was a mixed bag, but that means there was still a lot of good news.
William Barr's Never-Ending War
Trump's nominee for attorney general is apt to encourage his worst instincts on drug policy.
