Civil Asset Forfeiture

The Supreme Court has unanimously ended, at long last, a long standing abomination in law enforcement -- civil asset forfeiture.

Here’s how it works: Prosecutors accuse an individual of a crime, then seize assets that have some tenuous connection to the alleged offense. The individual need not be convicted or even charged with an actual crime, and her assets are seized through a civil proceeding, which lacks the due process safeguards of a criminal trial. Law enforcement can seize money or property, including one’s home, business, or vehicle. It gets to keep the profits, creating a perverse incentive that encourages police abuses. Flush with money, they can now purchase all sorts of military gear to make their dicks bigger. Because the standards are so loose, people with little to no involvement in criminal activity often get caught up in civil asset forfeiture. For instance, South Carolina police tried to seize an elderly woman’s home because drug deals occurred on the property—even though she had no connection to the crimes and tried to stop them.

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NYTIMES.COM

Supreme Court Limits Police Powers to Seize Private Property

Civil forfeiture laws, a popular way to raise revenue, have been the subject of criticism across the political spectrum.

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