"It's crazy to me that somebody can be pulled over and have their cash and truck taken for an alleged crime, get acquitted of that crime, but they still never get their property back," Stitt said.
The verdict vindicates the constitutional rights that Louisiana sheriff's deputies flagrantly violated when they hauled Waylon Bailey off to jail.
The appeals court dismissed a civil rights lawsuit by a Laredo gadfly who was arrested for asking questions.
Ralph Petty's "conflicted dual-hat arrangement" as an advocate and an adjudicator was "utterly bonkers," Judge Don Willett notes.
Without a prompt post-seizure hearing, people can lose their property for months or years even when they ultimately get it back.
School officials in three states are effectively immune from lawsuits over excessive corporal punishment. A Louisiana mother is asking the Supreme Court to step in.
Sylvia Gonzalez, an anti-establishment politician, spent a day in jail for allegedly concealing a petition that she organized.
"Ironically, the actions of the police department have only proven my point," Noah Petersen said after being handcuffed, arrested, and jailed for his speech.
Mississippi only gives property owners 10 days to challenge a blight finding that could lead to their house being seized through eminent domain.
An officer conducted the search of Prentiss Jackson's vehicle after claiming he could smell "a little bit of weed." It ultimately resulted in a lengthy prison term.
A federal circuit judge writes that Detroit's vehicle seizure scheme "is simply a money-making venture—one most often used to extort money from those who can least afford it."
The appeals court ruled that a Facebook post alluding to World War Z was clearly protected by the First Amendment.
Cristal Starling lost $8,000 after she missed one of several filing deadlines to contest the seizure of her money by police. A federal appeals court says she and others like her should be given more leeway.
Even if background check applicants are guilty of wrongdoing, imposing lifetime bans on gainful employment is not a good policy.
The 11th Circuit rejected Sosa's constitutional claims, and he is asking the Supreme Court to intervene.
The FAIR Act includes several substantial reforms that would make it harder to take property from innocent owners through civil forfeiture.
The lawsuit looks iffy in light of the Supreme Court's "open fields" doctrine.
Police detectives accused Jerry Johnson of being a drug trafficker and seized cash he says he intended to use to buy a semitruck at auction. He was never charged with a crime.
The Institute for Justice says Robert Reeves' First Amendment rights were violated when prosecutors filed and refiled baseless felony charges against him after he sued to get his car back.
One guy with gambling debts is a news story, but a formal policy of legalized theft is a national scandal.
A $2.1 million penalty for failing to file a form on time reveals the agency’s true nature.
Should an elderly grandmother be forced to hand over millions of dollars to the government for failing to file a particular form?
Multiple factors contribute to housing shortages, but zoning constraints are mostly to blame.
Zion’s attempts to push out unwanted renters collides with Fourth Amendment protections.
Even in cases that hinged on the trustworthiness of demonstrably untrustworthy cops, people are still waiting to get their money back.
The Supreme Court's 2018 ruling in Timbs v. Indiana revived the Excessive Fines Clause. Now state courts have to come up with tests to determine what's excessive.
The two fake news organizations want the Supreme Court to review the case of a man who was arrested for making fun of the police.
The Institute for Justice argues evidence from warrantless searches can’t be used for zoning enforcement.
A First Amendment case prompts The Onion to explain how parody works.
The 6th Circuit ruled that qualified immunity prevented Anthony Novak from vindicating his First Amendment rights.
Plus: FIRE teams up with Ice-T, self-preferencing shouldn't be an antitrust offense, and more...
She’s asking the Supreme Court to consider whether this seizure is an excessive fine under the Eighth Amendment.
A Florida woman has been threatened with fines for giving tips without the proper occupational licensing.
Plus: how voters respond to vague criticism, U.S. lawmakers still at war with TikTok, and more...
Enemies of educational freedom are using inane regulations to target learning pods.
The Harris County, Texas, District Attorney's Office oversees civil forfeitures that make a mockery of justice.
Brookside faces several federal challenges for trying to fund its city by ticketing and towing the cars of anybody they can get away with.
The Institute for Justice urges SCOTUS to renounce that open-ended exception to the Fourth Amendment.
The change represents a substantial reversal of civil forfeiture reforms aimed at protecting innocent property owners.
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.
The officer used a "pain compliance maneuver" to force information from the boy's sister, who was recording the encounter.
A federal judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order, saying the evidence of legal violations is insufficient at this point.
The city's restrictions threaten one of the world's most vibrant music scenes.
The Institute for Justice argues that the seizures violated state law, federal law, and the U.S. Constitution.
The Institute for Justice wants the Supreme Court to review the case—and to clarify the proper scope of "investigatory stops."
Regulators insist Fourth Amendment protections don’t apply to administrative searches.
