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- Seizures of Bank AccountsIf funds in a bank account are frozen, blocked, or seized under federal law. See 21 U.S.C. § 881(a)(6) and 31 U.S.C. § 5317(c)(2) or 18 U.S.C. §§…
- Seizure of Cryptocurrency for ForfeitureWhat happens when a federal agency obtains a warrant to seize cryptocurrency for forfeiture? If your account was frozen because of an investigation…
- Seizure of Bitcoin for Civil Asset ForfeitureThe U.S. Department of Justice recently launched the Digital Asset Coordinators Network, a network of 150 federal law enforcement officials tasked…
- Rule 41(g) Motion for the Return of PropertyFederal Rule of Criminal Procedure 41(g) provides that “[a] person aggrieved by an unlawful search and seizure of property or by the deprivation of…
- Responding to the Complaint for Forfeiture In RemIf the United States files a complaint for forfeiture In Rem against the U.S. Currency within the 90-day deadline, the complaint for forfeiture In…
- Petition for Remission or Mitigation of the ForfeitureAfter your property or currency is seized, you should hire an attorney to file a verified claim for court action (sometimes called “early judicial…
- News Paper Articles on Civil Asset Forfeiture AbusesThe FBI raid of Private Vault in Beverly Hills. The FBI opened 1,400 safe deposit boxes and seized over $86 million in cash from the 1,400…
- NPR Articles on Dirty Money Asset Seizures and ForfeituresNPR (5-12-09) Texas Case May Spur Drug Money Rule Change : The NPR series Dirty Money revealed how some police agencies abuse a law that allows them…
- Motion to Suppress in CAFRA Forfeiture CasesThe Fourth Amendment of the United States protects the “right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against…
- Motion to Set Aside a Declaration of ForfeitureThe Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 (CAFRA) sets forth the general rules for civil forfeiture proceedings. 18 U.S.C. § 983. When CAFRA was…
- Magazine Articles on Forfeiture AbusesVanguard (10-25-10) Asset Forfeitures: The Free Market and Property Rights Forbes (8-23-11) Stealing Is Wrong, Even When It’s The Government Doing It…
- LA Times Articles on L.A. Safe Deposit Box Forfeiture AbuseThe FBI raid of Private Vault in Beverly Hills. The FBI opened 1,400 safe deposit boxes and seized over $86 million in cash from the 1,400…
- Innocent Owner DefenseAfter the Government has sustained its initial burden of proof on forfeitability, federal law entitles any claimant with standing to assert the…
- Forfeiture for Money Transmitting BusinessForfeitures occur under both state and federal law. Under federal law, 18 U.S.C. § 1960 prohibits operating a “money transmitting business” without a…
- Final Administrative Action by Customs and Border ProtectionAfter your U.S. Currency or other property is seized by an agent with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) or Customs and Border…
- “They’re Taking My Stuff!” – Now on Video!News that involves the police is inherently dramatic, and stories about what police officers do regularly make the news—asset seizure of hundreds of…
- Yes, the government can steal your stuffAuthorities don’t need a conviction or even for a suspect to be charged before seizing a car, cash or a house By NORA V. DEMLEITNER PUBLISHED…
- Yes, police in most states can seize your money even if you’re not charged with a crimeThrough a process called civil forfeiture, the government can seize your money if they believe it is linked to a crime. Some Google search ads can be…
- Wisconsin Enacts Sweeping Civil Asset Forfeiture ReformWisconsin Gov. Scott Walker signed a bill protecting residents’ constitutional rights to property and due process. Senate Bill 61 (S.B. 61),…
- Will the feds bungle billions?The DOJ has a spotty reputation for selling seized property — and is now facing its biggest test yet with two Manhattan trophy towers From top left:…
- Will a tech giant’s huge appetite transform a vibrant slice of Manhattan?Google’s growing fiefdom in New York signals more headline real estate plays to come, sources say MAR 1, 2018, 10:00 AM By Mark Maurer It started as…
- Why civil asset forfeiture simply won’t dieBy Robert Gebelhoff Assistant editor and Opinions contributor July 25, 2017 at 11:04 a.m. EDT Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the White House in…
- Why are innocent people still losing cash, cars and even homes to police?Our View: Civil asset forfeiture, meant to fight crime by taking profits from drug dealers, often turns cops into bounty hunters who can’t imagine…
- Why Cops Should Be Chasing the Bad Guys, Not the Big BucksA recent episode of Archer featured a dialogue between two FBI agents, both riding on jet skis, chasing a wrongdoer’s boat. Agent One: Whoohoo! I…
- Who’s winning from asset seizures?As CNBC has reported this week, the Justice Department’s Asset Forfeiture Program has grown over the past decade to take in over $4 billion in assets…
- What do Toyota and Madoff have in common?CNBC reported Tuesday on the increasing number of cash seizures performed under the Justice Department’s Asset Forfeiture Program. Last year, the…
- Warrant of arrest issued against seized funds from Bank of SaipanDISTRICT Court for the NMI Magistrate Judge Heather Kennedy issued a warrant of arrest in rem Friday against funds seized from two Bank of Saipan…
- WHAT THE SUPREME COURT RULING COULD MEAN FOR CIVIL ASSET FORFEITUREAs the U.S. Supreme Court pointed out on Feb. 20, the constitutional clause that protects Americans from having to pay “excessive fines” traces its…
- US Government is Seizing so Many Cryptos, It’s Enrolling Private ContractorsThe U.S. government has seized $1.2 billion worth of cryptos so far this year. Now, the crypto seizure and sale operation is growing so fast that the…
- U.S. seeks to seize 280 cryptocurrency accounts tied to North Korean hacksPUBLISHED THU, AUG 27 2020 8:55 PM EDT Reuters The U.S. government sought on Thursday to seize 280 cryptocurrency accounts it said were used by North…
- U.S. seeks $5.4 mln from Russian businessman Malofeyev’s accountNovember 30, 2022 4:27 PM EST Updated a year ago NEW YORK, Nov 30 (Reuters) – Prosecutors on Wednesday moved to confiscate $5.4 million from a U.S.…
- U.S. prosecutors seize properties, charge Russian on Ukraine invasion anniversaryNEW YORK, Feb 24 (Reuters) – U.S. prosecutors on Friday said they were seeking to forfeit six properties in New York and Florida allegedly belonging…
- U.S. prosecutors seek broader powers to seize Russian oligarchs’ assetJuly 19 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking broader authority from Congress to seize Russian oligarchs’ assets as a means to…
- U.S. Marshals Service hires custodian to hold crypto seized in criminal activityPUBLISHED WED, JUL 28 2021 5:00 PM EDT Tanaya Macheel @TANAYAMACHEEL The U.S. Marshals Service has hired custodian Anchorage Digital to custody…
- Two Celebrities Charged With Unlawfully Touting Coin OfferingsWashington D.C., Nov. 29, 2018 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced settled charges against professional boxer Floyd Mayweather…
- Trump wants to use a big banking settlement to help build his border wallPUBLISHED WED, MAR 20 2019 11:52 AM EDT UPDATED WED, MAR 20 201912:42 PM EDT Ylan Mui The White House is targeting a windfall from an international…
- Trump pardon unwinds some Manafort forfeituresJustice Department drops efforts to seize 3 properties of former Trump campaign manager at center of Mueller probe. Former Trump campaign manager…
- Trump Just Resurrected the Ugly Practice Known as Civil Forfeiture for No ReasonCivil asset forfeiture is the latest dangerous from the Trump administration. The new rule announced by the Justice Department won’t just expand the…
- This Week’s Outrage (Which, Again, Touches on Civil Asset Forfeiture)Last week, the Birmingham News published a scorching expose of police practices in the little town of Brookside, Alabama (population 1,253).…
- This Week’s Civil Forfeiture Outrages: Do People Facing Forfeiture Get Due Process?A high-profile reversal of a recent civil forfeiture case makes me wonder: Do those who face civil forfeiture generally receive due process of law?…
- This Week’s Civil Forfeiture Outrages (Ninth in a Series: Texas Edition)There is a big difference between being accused of misconduct and a court finding of misconduct. Nonetheless, the recent accusations leveled against…
- This Week’s Civil Forfeiture Outrage (Twelfth in a Series: Love Field Update)A few months ago, I blogged about the curious case of a currency seizure at Dallas Love Field. In December, the Dallas Police Department (DPD) seized…
- This Week’s Civil Forfeiture Outrage (Tenth in a Series: Baltimore Edition)This Baltimore Brew news story describes how the Baltimore Police Department (BPD)—like many police departments around the country—seizes millions of…
- This Week’s Civil Forfeiture Outrage (Fourth in a Series)Here’s a fascinating story in the Arizona Republic about an appeals court hearing earlier this week. Reporter Perry Vandell’s account of that hearing…
- This Week’s Civil Forfeiture Outrage (Eleventh in a Series: Highway Robbery in California)The bandit is the scourge of the traveler. In less developed parts of the world, travelers risk encountering bandits even today. Sometimes the bandit…
- This Week’s Civil Forfeiture Outrage (Eighth in a Series)I wish it were harder to find forfeiture outrages to write about, but they keep popping up. This week, I focus on Massachusetts. Here’s a news story…
- This Week in Civil Forfeiture OutragesNot for the first time, I came across so many accounts of civil forfeiture outrages this week that I couldn’t narrow them down to just one or two.…
- This Federal Program Lets Cops Seize Cash, Evade State Laws And Keep Over A Billion DollarsJohn Yoder and Brad Cates, who headed the Asset Forfeiture Office at the U.S. Department of Justice from 1983 to 1989, slammed civil forfeiture as a…
- These states let police take and keep your stuff even if you haven’t committed a crimeThe policy that allows this is known as “civil forfeiture” — and it’s totally legal in most states. By German [email protected]@vox.com…
- Theft of Public Funds or Accounting Incompetence? Kansas Police Agencies Can’t Accurately Track Property ForfeituresIn 2019, Kansas enacted a law that requires police agencies to accurately track and report amounts seized from property forfeitures — known as civil…
- The government took $41,000 from this Texan at a Houston airport six months ago. They never gave it back.A nurse from Katy is suing Customs and Border Protection after the agency took the cash from her last October and never charged her with a crime.…
- The feds are helping local police make money by taking your stuff againThe Obama administration rolls back one of its best policing reforms. By Dara Lind and German Lopez Updated Mar 28, 2016, 2:48pm EDT Share this story…
- The U.S. government has a massive, secret stockpile of bitcoin — Here’s what happens to itPUBLISHED SUN, DEC 19 2021 9:00 AM EST UPDATED SUN, DEC 19 2021 7:54 PM EST MacKenzie Sigalos @KENZIESIGALOS The U.S. government regularly holds…
- The Surprising Truth About ‘Dirty Money’JUNE 21, 20088:00 AM ET HEARD ON WEEKEND EDITION SATURDAY By John BurnettNine months of reporting on “dirty money” — money seized from suspected drug…
- The Supreme Court Has Limited How Much Private Property States Can SeizeThe Eighth Amendment bars the federal government from imposing excessive fines. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court held that the limit also applies to…
- The Seemingly Interminable Saga of the Timbs Asset Forfeiture Case ContinuesIt went all the way to the US Supreme Court, and is now back in the Indiana state Supreme Court for the third time. ILYA SOMIN | 2.6.2021 11:24 PM…
- The Justice Department just shut down a huge asset forfeiture programThe Department of Justice announced this week that it’s suspending a controversial program that allows local police departments to keep a large…
- The IRS has seized $1.2 billion worth of cryptocurrency this fiscal year – here’s what happens to itPUBLISHED WED, AUG 4 2021 12:15 PM EDT UPDATED MON, NOV 22 202111:11 AM EST MacKenzie Sigalos @KENZIESIGALOS The U.S. government regularly holds…
- The Government Seized This Innocent Man’s Car Without Due Process. SCOTUS Won’t Hear the Case.“How can an ordinary person afford to wait years after the government takes their car?” BILLY BINION | 4.19.2021 4:57 PM When Gerardo Serrano stopped…
- The Fruits of Forfeiture in Little ComptonThe Providence Journal’s Antonia Noori Farzan just published a great story (paywalled) about the Rhode Island town of Little Compton—the…
- The FBI Seized Almost $1 Million From This Family—and Never Charged Them With a Crime“It’s completely changed my belief in fairness,” says Amy Sterner Nelson. BILLY BINION | 2.18.2022 4:16 PM Carl Nelson and Amy Sterner Nelson’s…
- The FBI Is Trying to Keep More Cash Seized from a Beverly Hills VaultIt’s been months since the feds confiscated money and other valuables from safe deposit boxes in a Beverly Hills strip mall, but they’ve yet to…
- The Continuing Perversity of Civil Asset ForfeitureIn too many places, law enforcement can still seize cash or property without proving a crime. States have begun to enact protections, but there’s…
- Texas Case May Spur Drug Money Rule ChangeMAY 12, 20094:00 PM ET HEARD ON ALL THINGS CONSIDERED By John Burnett The NPR series Dirty Money revealed how some police agencies abuse a law that…
- Tennessee Corruption Case Raises Questions about Forfeiture and Police Office CultureOn a summer Tennessee night in 2021, Deputy Daniel Jacobs of the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office attempted, essentially, to sell a 2010 Lincoln MKZ to…
- Taking people’s stuff: Civil forfeiture is widespread, unjust, and resists reformCivil forfeiture is a deeply unfair practice in which government agents take and keep billions of dollars of personal property every year – usually…
- TakenOn a bright Thursday afternoon in 2007, Jennifer Boatright, a waitress at a Houston bar-and-grill, drove with her two young sons and her boyfriend,…
- Supreme Court says states can’t impose excessive fines, and delivers a win to former heroin addict in pivotal rulingPUBLISHED WED, FEB 20 201911:12 AM EST UPDATED WED, FEB 20 20192:35 PM EST Tucker Higgins @TUCKERHIGGINS The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a win…
- Supreme Court Rules that Excessive Fines Clause Applies to States and Constrains Civil Asset ForfeitureThe 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…
- Supreme Court Limits Police Powers to Seize Private PropertyBy Adam Liptak and Shaila Dewan Feb. 20, 2019 WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that the Constitution places limits on the ability of…
- Supreme Court Delivers Unanimous Victory for Asset Forfeiture ChallengeThe Eighth Amendment prohibition against excessive fines and fees applies to states as well, SCOTUS rules, opening a new way to challenge outlandish…
- Supreme Court Could Stop The Federal Government From Not Paying Legal FeesA Florida mom who spent a third of her life savings on legal fees fighting the federal government over a wrongful seizure is urging the U.S. Supreme…
- Stopping the abuse of civil forfeitureThe writer, a Republican, represents Michigan’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House. Imagine you are driving down the highway on your way to…
- Stealing Is Wrong, Even When It’s The Government Doing ItDaniel J. Mitchell Aug 23, 2011,11:32am EDT As a grumpy libertarian, I routinely get agitated about taxes, spending, and regulation. As far as I’m…
- State report on civil asset forfeiture laws in Florida suggests reforms are neededThere’s been an increasing rise in reforming civil asset forfeiture laws around the country, with conservatives and libertarians (such as the Cato…
- Spending of Drug Money QuestionedFederal rules allow local law enforcement agencies to seize drug money headed south to Mexico. Millions of dollars are at stake. The system has…
- Special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation could turn a profit for the government, thanks to Paul Manafort’s asset forfeitureSpecial counsel Robert Mueller secured a win last Friday, with President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, pleading guilty to…
- South Carolina Supreme Court drops the ball on asset forfeiture reformSept 22 – The South Carolina Supreme Court declined to make essential changes to policing last week, when it overruled a lower court’s decision that…
- Small businesses still fighting for cash seized by IRSThe business operations of a drug dealer or a terrorist have little in common with a Maryland dairy farmer. But in a bizarre business tale, the IRS…
- Small Heroin Sale Tees Up High Court Test of Forfeiture LawsA challenge to a rare legal scenario in which a federally protected civil liberty has not yet been extended to apply to state law enforcement will be…
- Sixth Circuit Announces Criminal Forfeiture Under Fed. R. Crim. P. 32.2(b) Is Mandatory Claims-Processing Rule, Reverses $62.5 Million Money JudgmentsThe U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reversed two money judgments totaling $62.5 million after holding Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure…
- Since 2007, the DEA has taken $3.2 billion in cash from people not charged with a crimeThe Drug Enforcement Administration takes billions of dollars in cash from people who are never charged with criminal activity, according to a report…
- Sheriff Under Scrutiny over Drug Money SpendingJUNE 18, 200812:49 PM ET HEARD ON ALL THINGS CONSIDERED By John Burnett The last of a four-part series Camden County Sheriff Bill Smith is being…
- Sessions Creates DOJ Asset Forfeiture WatchdogAttorney General Jeff Sessions is setting up a unit to oversee a policy he reinstated to help state and local police take cash and property from…
- Sentence First; Verdict Afterwards: Civil Asset Forfeiture Ruins Lives on Basis of AllegationsThe FBI seized almost one million dollars from Carl Nelson and Amy Sterner Nelson in May of 2020 after having shown up the month before to their home…
- Senators urge Biden to enable agency to seize tankers of Iran oilBy Timothy Gardner and Jonathan Saul April 27, 20232:14 PM EDTUpdated 8 months ago [1/2]U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) reads as U.S. Space Force Lt.…
- Senate bill aims to rein in IRS on asset forfeitureshttps://audioboom.com/posts/5102935 https://forfeitureusa.com/wp-content/uploads/misc_1033.png 512 512 seizures…
- Seized Drug Assets Pad Police BudgetsJUNE 16, 200812:01 AM ET HEARD ON MORNING EDITION By John Burnett Listen Download Transcript First of a four-part series A Primer on Dirty Money For…
- Scathing Report Reveals ICE Directive Encouraging Agents to Seize Property for Financial GainNewly revealed pages from ICE’s handbook on asset forfeiture reveal a focus on seizing private assets with the goal of generating revenue. In a…
- Sanctions threaten to cripple Russia’s multibillion-dollar crypto industryPUBLISHED FRI, APR 22 20226:07 AM EDTUPDATED FRI, APR 29 20228:39 AM EDT Ryan Browne U.S. officials are concerned Russia will “monetize its natural…
- Sanctioned oligarch accuses U.S. of stealing his assets, vows to fight in Russian courtBy Alexander Marrow February 9, 202311:51 AM ESTUpdated a year ago Summary This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of…
- SC Troopers under SLED investigation following $110K seizureSUMTER COUNTY, SC (WJZY) — South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigators are working to figure out what happened the night in July when the…
- Russian oligarch ordered to forfeit $5.4 mln to U.S., Ukraine may get fundsFebruary 2, 2023 1:52 PM EST Updated a year ago NEW YORK, Feb 2 (Reuters) – U.S. prosecutors may confiscate $5.4 million belonging to sanctioned…
- Robert Durst to Cops: I Want the $161,000 You SeizedMurder suspect Robert Durst — who is worth about $100 million, according to the FBI’s estimate — is demanding that authorities return $161,000 seized…
- Retiree’s Home Taken for $8.41 Tax Bill Draws Michigan Supreme Court IreA 1999 Michigan state law provided for properties with unpaid taxes to be seized and rapidly resold by county treasurers. While this practice is not…
- Report: Government Seizes Billions in Private Property, but Citizens Have Little RecourseEvery year, federal, state, and local government agents take and permanently keep, collectively, billions of dollars of Americans’ property through a…
- Report: Civil Forfeiture Policy Unjustly Deprives People of PropertyAn updated Competitive Enterprise Institute report calls attention to five myths used to justify the unjust law enforcement practice known as civil…
- Report: Asset Forfeiture Distorts Police PrioritiesA new report published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) argues that drug-crime asset forfeiture by law enforcement agencies, which…
- Record $1 billion worth of bitcoin linked to the Silk Road seized by U.S. governmentPUBLISHED THU, NOV 5 2020 12:19 PM EST UPDATED FRI, NOV 6 20208:39 PM EST Kate Rooney @KR00NEY Thousands of bitcoins — worth $1 billion — were seized…
- Reasonable limits on asset forfeiture past-dueWhen law enforcement officials seize property gained through criminal activity, those of us on the right side of the law should applaud. When they…
- Rand Paul: How feds can legally steal your moneyEditor’s Note: Rand Paul, a Republican, is a U.S. senator from Kentucky. Tim Walberg, a Republican, is a U.S. representative from Michigan. The…
- Property Seized, Money Taken – But No CrimeEditor’s Note: One of the gentleman, Wally Kowalski, was arrested and charged hours after this story ran. The unedited piece is below. Wladyslaw…
- Policing for Profit: Law Enforcement Agencies Abuse Civil Asset ForfeitureWhile crime may not pay, policing can be very profitable when law enforcement agencies are allowed to seize assets not only from criminals but also…
- Policing for Profit: Justice Reformers Chip Away at Civil Asset Forfeitureby Noreen Marcus Carole Hinders built a better taco that drew diners to Mrs. Lady’s Food in Spirit Lake, Iowa, for 37 years. Then, one day in 2013,…
- Policing For Profit:How Civil Asset Forfeiture Has Perverted American Law EnforcementPicture this: You’re driving home from the casino and you’ve absolutely cleaned up – to the tune of $50,000. You see a police car pull up behind you,…
- Police, Prosecutors Use Asset Forfeitures to Lease SUVs, Customize Motorcycles, Install WiFi at Home, and MoreLancaster County, Pennsylvania, District Attorney Craig Stedman spent more than $21,000 of drug forfeiture money to lease a 2016 Toyota Highlander.…
- Police seized $10,000 of a couple’s cash. They couldn’t get it back — until they went public.Tonya Smith referred to June 9 as a “highway robbery.” But the traffic stop by West Virginia state troopers and seizure of thousands of dollars in…
- Police seize property without charges and pocket the proceeds. There’s a bipartisan move to crack down.When Malinda Harris went to her car after her son borrowed it in March 2015, she received a shock that changed her life. She was surprised by several…
- Police seize property and cash in questionable raidsMichigan laws allow police to seize assets even when no criminal charges are filed. Study says Michigan is among the worst in protecting citizens…
- Police keep taking more and more stuff from people without charging them for crimesOver the past several years, law enforcement officials have seized and kept more and more of people’s property — without ever needing to prove that…
- Police cash confiscations still on the riseJoseph Rivers of Dearborn was on his way to California to start a career as a music video producer when he was stopped by DEA agents in New Mexico,…
- Police agencies forfeit millions after new law chokes off funds from asset seizuresJewels worth $7.2 million were seized in Los Angeles. Fine art worth $4.1 million was seized in Signal Hill. U.S. currency totaling $30.8 million was…
- Police Seize Car, Drive 56,000 Miles, Sell It Without Charging Owners With a CrimeMichigan forfeiture laws allow assets to be turned over without a conviction By Derek Draplin | September 13, 2016Share on FacebookShare on X Photo…
- Police Say Seizing Property Without Trial Helps Keep Crime Down. A New Study Shows They’re Wrong.Civil asset forfeiture laws, which allow police to seize property without trial, are frequently justified as tools to seize millions from kingpins. A…
- People Have Few Protections Against Law Enforcement Civil Asset Forfeiture PracticesImagine a world where police officers regularly confiscate property from civilians, based only on officers’ accusations of criminal conduct. Imagine…
- Our Government OverlordsJohn Locke explained the primary role of government in 1689, writing, “The great and chief end, therefore, of men uniting into commonwealths, and…
- Oregon Seizes $121,000 of Deceased Veteran’s BenefitsThe Oregon Court of Appeals held that a deceased veteran’s benefits could be seized by the state as reimbursement of the costs of his care at the…
- Op-Ed: Weak reforms allow Arkansas police to patrol for cashGuilt or innocence does not always matter when the government decides to take private property in Arkansas. Guillermo Espinoza learned the hard way…
- Op-Ed: State seizure of private property – How civil asset forfeiture has run amok in LouisianaImagine you are driving home from work one day and are stopped and your car and personal belongings are taken. While this alone is a terrifying…
- Ohio Now Requires Criminal Convictions For Many Civil Forfeiture CasesOhio Gov. John Kasich signed a bill today that will require a criminal conviction before law enforcement can permanently confiscate property for many…
- North Dakota Takes A Bite Out Of Civil Asset ForfeitureOn May 2, 2019, North Dakota took a major first step in civil asset forfeiture reform. Governor Doug Burgum signed House Bill 1286, which goes a long…
- No Arrest — But Cops Took And Kept His $2,035 AnywayYour assets are presumed guilty in Michigan; legislation would change that By Evan Carter | November 24, 2017Share on FacebookShare on X In May 2016,…
- Ninth Circuit: Government Cannot Seize Cash Based Solely on Money’s Intended UseThe Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits the government from seizing cash intended for…
- New report: In tough times, police start seizing a lot more stuff from peopleRecent years have brought public scrutiny on a controversial law enforcement practice known as civil asset forfeiture, which lets police seize and…
- New Jersey Tightens Reins on Civil Asset ForfeitureIn following a trend among the states, New Jersey has passed legislation designed to rein in the abuse of civil asset forfeiture. On January 13,…
- New Hampshire Considers Major Forfeiture ReformThe New Hampshire state legislature’s House Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety is considering a significant change to the Granite…
- NM End of Civil Asset Forfeiture Didn’t Increase Crime: StudyIn 2015, New Mexico legislators ended most civil asset forfeiture, the process that lets police keep cash or property they seize, even if they never…
- My Voice: Private property at risk in South DakotaJames Madison declared way back in 1792 that in America, “Government is instituted to protect property of every sort … [and] … to secure to every man…
- Mooresville Police Face Legal Fight Over Cash Seized From SuspectsA judge in Statesville last week barred Mooresville police from doing something that’s increasingly common among local police departments in North…
- Montana Reins in Civil Asset ForfeitureIt’s been a nice few weeks for civil liberties in Montana. On the heels of the nation’s most comprehensive restrictions on police militarization,…
- Middle District Of Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects More Than $168 Million In Civil And Criminal Actions In Fiscal Year 2022Tampa, FL ― U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced today that the Middle District of Florida (MDFL) collected $168,330,189 related to criminal and…
- Michigan Rolls Back Reforms of Civil Asset ForfeitureMichigan is now a more dangerous place for anyone who flies with large amounts of cash. JACOB SULLUM | FROM THE OCTOBER 2022 ISSUE From 2015 to 2019,…
- Michigan Must Close Asset Forfeiture LoopholeAbuse in Highland Park illustrates need for reform May 25, 2022 | Facebook X Email Print By Jarrett Skorup The story is hard to believe: A mayor and…
- Michigan Man Cleared of Wrongdoing, Still Fighting Civil Forfeiture Years LaterThis article was originally published by the Institute for Justice. To see more Michigan-specific work on forfeiture, please visit…
- Michigan Enacts Civil Asset Forfeiture ReformsThree new laws in Michigan will limit property seizure practices in the state. Civil asset forfeiture is a legal process that allows law enforcement…
- Michigan Bans The Cops From Seizing Your Property Without ConvictionThe Heartland Institute reports that three new bills were signed into law which limit property seizure practices in the state. These new statues ban…
- Massachusetts Worst in Nation for Civil Forfeiture LawsThe Institute for Justice announced in its latest Policy for Profit report that Massachusetts was the only state in the country to earn an “F”…
- Massachusetts Remains a Civil Forfeiture OutlierThe five-plus decade battlefield of America’s war on drugs and crime is littered with dishonesty, abuse, and failure, which goes far to explain why…
- Maine Now Requires Criminal Conviction Before Property May Be ForfeitedMaine passed LD 1521 without the governor’s signature to become the fourth state in the nation to abolish civil asset forfeiture, requiring instead a…
- MI Prosecutor Quits Over Forfeiture Fund ChargesMacomb County, Mi., Prosecutor Eric Smith, accused of embezzlement and misconduct in office over how drug and alcohol forfeiture funds were spent,…
- Loophole Lets Missouri Cops Keep Millions in Forfeiture Funds (and Away from Schools)Under a civil forfeiture loophole, Missouri law enforcement agencies have diverted millions of dollars in seized assets away from a fund for public…
- Legislation on the move in California to protect innocent property owners from abuse of civil asset forfeitureThe California Senate considered a bill on Wednesday that would close a big loophole in the state’s civil asset forfeiture laws that currently…
- Legislation Introduced to Curb Federal ForfeitureEarlier this month, Congressman Tim Walberg (R-MI) reintroduced the Fifth Amendment Restoration Act (FAIR) Act. This measure is aimed at curbing…
- Law enforcement took more stuff from people than burglars did last yearHere’s an interesting factoid about contemporary policing: In 2014, for the first time ever, law enforcement officers took more property from…
- LA Times (6-09-21) FBI wants to keep the fortune in cash, gold, jewels from Beverly Hills raid. Is it abuse of power?FBI wants to keep fortune in cash, gold, jewels from Beverly Hills raid. Is it abuse of power? Three people look through a storefront window Joseph…
- Kim Kardashian pays over $1 million to settle SEC charges linked to a crypto promo on her InstagramKim Kardashian agreed to pay more than $1 million to settle SEC charges for failing to disclose a payment she received for touting a crypto asset on…
- Kim Kardashian and Floyd Mayweather sued by investors over alleged crypto scamPUBLISHED WED, JAN 12 2022 5:13 AM EST UPDATED THU, JAN 13 2022 12:07 AM EST Ryan Browne @RYAN_BROWNE_ A class action lawsuit accuses Kim Kardashian…
- Justice Thomas Defends Victims of Policing for ProfitCivil asset forfeiture is arbitrary and unfair, and it gives law enforcement the wrong incentives. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is well…
- Judge finds no rights violations in FBI seizure of Beverly Hills safe-deposit boxesFBI agents search safe-deposit boxes at the U.S. Private Vaults store in Beverly Hills in this video screen capture taken from a U.S. District Court…
- Judge dismisses case over FBI raid of 1,400 private safe-deposit boxes and seizure of millions in jewelry and cashSam Tabahriti Oct 7, 2022, 11:12 AM EDT FBI agents search safe-deposit boxes at the US Private Vaults store in Beverly Hills in this video screen…
- JUSTICE MANUAL 9-121.000 – Remission, Mitigation, And Restoration Of Forfeited Properties9-121.100 – Attorney General’s Authority With respect to property ordered forfeited under the criminal forfeiture statutes, the Attorney General has…
- JUSTICE MANUAL 9-120.000 – Attorney Fee Forfeiture Guidelines9-120.100 – Policy Limitations on Application of Forfeiture Provisions to Attorney Fees While there are no constitutional or statutory prohibitions…
- JUSTICE MANUAL 9-119.000 – Asset Forfeiture Approval, Consultation, And Notification Requirements9-119.010 – General Approval, Consultation, and Notification Requirements Topic Requirement Reference Administrative Forfeiture Headquarters of…
- JUSTICE MANUAL 9-117.000 – Department Of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund9-117.100 – Transfer of Funds From the Seized Asset Deposit Fund to the Assets Forfeiture Fund The United States Attorney’s Office securing a…
- JUSTICE MANUAL 9-116.000 – Equitable Sharing And Federal Adoption9-116.100 – General Equitable Sharing Policies and Procedures Department of Justice policies and procedures governing the equitable sharing of…
- JUSTICE MANUAL 9-115.000 – Use And Disposition Of Seized And Forfeited Property9-115.100 – Management and Disposal of Seized Assets The United States Marshals Service (USMS) has primary authority over the management and disposal…
- JUSTICE MANUAL 9-113.000 – Forfeiture Settlements9-113.100 – Forfeiture by Settlement and Plea Bargaining in Civil and Criminal Actions Settlements to forfeit property are encouraged to conserve the…
- JUSTICE MANUAL 9-112.000 – Administrative And Judicial Forfeiture9-112.110 – Administrative Forfeiture Policy Properties subject to administrative forfeiture must be forfeited administratively, unless one of the…
- JUSTICE MANUAL 9-111.000 – Forfeiture/Seizure9-111.110 – Seizure—General Pre-Seizure Planning Policy Guidelines What follows are broad pre-seizure planning policy guidelines for all agencies…
- Indiana Supreme Court Finally Puts an End to the Timbs Asset Forfeiture Case— “Reminiscent of Captain Ahab’s Chase of the White Whale Moby Dick”The case has generated three state supreme court decisions, plus a landmark ruling by the federal Supreme Court. ILYA SOMIN | 6.10.2021 11:50 PM…
- Indiana Supreme Court Applies Eighth Amendment to Curb “Oppressive” Asset ForfeituresThe 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…
- Indiana Solicitor General: It’s Constitutional to Seize a Car for Driving 5 MPH Over the Speed LimitSupreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer elicited a shocking response during Wednesday’s oral argument in a big civil asset forfeiture case. ERIC BOEHM |…
- Indiana Senate Passes Bill To Let Government Steal Stuff From People Suspected of ‘Unlawful Assembly’Vague laws are typically vague for a reason. BILLY BINION | 2.19.2021 4:45 PM The Indiana Senate on Tuesday voted 37-8 to pass a bill that would give…
- Indiana Returns Land Rover Seized 7 Years Ago in Landmark Asset Forfeiture CaseIndiana is still fighting to keep Tyson Timbs’ SUV seven years after it first seized the car, but for now, it’s back in Timbs’ driveway. C.J.…
- In appeals court hearing, judges criticize case of Phoenix police seizing man’s $39,500https://forfeitureusa.com/wp-content/uploads/misc_1030.png 512 512 seizures…
- In Landmark Civil Asset Forfeiture Case, U.S. Supreme Court Holds Excessive Fines Clause of Eighth Amendment Applicable to Statesby Douglas Ankney The Supreme Court of the United States (“SCOTUS”) held that the Excessive Fines Clause of the Eighth Amendment is applicable to the…
- IRS to return seized cash to small-business ownerBig victory for the little guy vs. IRS A convenience store owner who had his entire bank account seized under an Internal Revenue Service policy…
- How the government can steal your stuff: 6 questions about civil asset forfeiture answeredEditor’s note: Should someone wearing a badge have the power to relieve a suspected drug dealer of his Maserati on the spot without giving him an…
- How the IRS seized a man’s life savings without ever charging him with a crimeThe United States of America, Plaintiff, v. $107,702.66 in United States Currency, Defendant. That’s the Kafkaesque title of a civil asset forfeiture…
- How the Feds Are Using Civil Asset Forfeiture to Threaten Free SpeechSex, publishing, and quasi-legal theft collide in the Backpage prosecution. ELIZABETH NOLAN BROWN | 2.20.2019 8:00 AM Prosecutors are ignoring the…
- How police can take your stuff, sell it, and pay for armored cars with the moneyAs the public gets more critical of police aggression and abuse in the US, some programs that have flown under the radar for decades are now…
- How much civil asset forfeiture will Holder’s new policy actually prevent?When a federal agency announces a significant new policy, it isn’t always clear what actual effects that policy will have in practice. It takes some…
- How do you protect your assets from seizures and forfeitures?Dan Greenberg, deputy general counsel of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, described seizures and forfeitures, how to protect your assets, and…
- How a Young Joe Biden Became the Architect of the Government’s Asset Forfeiture ProgramA tale of the War on Drugs, Joe Biden, Bill Weld, and how civil asset forfeiture came to be. Saturday, March 9, 2019 Image credit: YouTube Keith…
- How States Are Using the Courts to Fight Police Taking People’s Money and PropertyFrom coast to coast, states are tackling legislation that would protect property owners from abuses of a system that has become known as policing for…
- How Civil Forfeiture Makes It Harder for Cops to Do Their JobsEvery year, law enforcement officers seize billions of dollars in cash and property from the public. Mostly, these seizures take place without any…
- How Civil Forfeiture Can Enable Public Officials’ Misuse of FundsA fascinating story at Reason last week—about the misuse of money confiscated through civil forfeiture—illuminates the many kinds of corruption that…
- How Civil Asset Forfeiture Turns Authorities into ‘Bounty Hunters’Civil asset forfeiture gives police officers the right to seize cash, cars and homes from people who haven’t been convicted of a crime, which is why…
- How A Quiet Police Lobbying Campaign Killed Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform In MissouriEditor’s note: This story is part of a collaborative-reporting initiative supported by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. All stories can be…
- Houston Prosecutors Profit Millions From Cash Illegally Seizedby Jacob Barrett Apparently “everything in Texas isbigger,” including the corruption and dirty tactics used by police and prosecutors to profit off…
- Home, Assets Tied Up For Years As Family Awaits Forfeiture ProcessQuestions raised about how law enforcement freezes property during trial By Jarrett Skorup | August 22, 2018Share on FacebookShare on X The owners of…
- Holder announces new limits on civil asset forfeituresAttorney General Eric H. Holder announced new curbs Tuesday on the government’s use of civil asset forfeiture laws, saying that federal authorities…
- Hobby Lobby’s $1.6 million Gilgamesh tablet has been forfeited to the U.S.PUBLISHED TUE, JUL 27 2021 3:55 PM EDT UPDATED TUE, JUL 27 20215:07 PM EDT Sarah Whitten @SARAHWHIT10 A 3,500-year-old clay tablet purchased by the…
- Highway Robbers Return Money Taken from Ex-Marine The Catch? They Were CopsWhile driving cross-country from Texas to California in February, retired Marine Stephen Lara was pulled over by the Nevada Highway Patrol. Little…
- Here’s what happens to Russian oligarch yachts after they’re seizedPUBLISHED WED, MAR 9 2022 11:09 AM EST UPDATED WED, MAR 9 20228:47 PM EST By Robert Frank Freezing the assets is the simple part; deciding what to do…
- Guy describes the living nightmare of the US government trying to seize his family’s motelUS senators held a hearing this week to talk about reforming a bizarre law that lets authorities seize your property even if you’ve never been…
- Great News: New Mexico’s Asset Forfeiture Reform Bill Signed by GovernorActual criminal conviction will be required to take citizens’ property. SCOTT SHACKFORD | 4.10.2015 2:52 PM “Somebody get Rand Paul’s campaign on the…
- Governor Hogan, Civil Asset Forfeiture Is Inherently AbusiveDespite recent gains around the country, civil asset forfeiture reform suffered a setback in Maryland when Gov. Larry Hogan (R) vetoed a bill that…
- Government self-interest corrupted a crime-fighting tool into an evilLast week, The Post published a series of in-depth articles about the abuses spawned by the law enforcement practice known as civil asset forfeiture.…
- Government seeks property forfeiture in vape caseOn the first anniversary of a raid of Tibor’s Kosher Meats and houses associated with it, the U.S. Attorney’s Office received permission to sell…
- Government May Not Avoid Just Compensation in Debt SeizuresSome state governments have been acting as if the Fifth Amendment’s requirement of just compensation doesn’t apply in the course of collection of…
- Good and bad news on civil asset forfeitureSaraland, Ala., police show off bundles of cash seized in an April 2008 traffic stop on Interstate 65. Saraland, Ala., police show off bundles of…
- From pirates to kingpins, the strange legal history of civil forfeitureAs with most good tales, this one starts with pirates. Or rather, privateers, who are basically pirates but with less killing. From America’s…
- Fortune or forfeiture: real estate lending in the cannabis spaceFebruary 8, 2022 – With expectations of doubling in the next five years, the cannabis industry will require significant funding to fuel its fast and…
- Former Motel Caswell owner testifies in nation’s capital on pitfalls of civil forfeiture lawRuss Caswell, right foreground, is joined by Institute of Justice lawyer Darpana Sheth at a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the…
- Forfeiture Funds Fancy Food for OfficialsFederal laws allow state and local police agencies to seize private property and keep it whether or not its rightful owner is charged with or…
- Forfeiture Cases Can Take Years, Even for the Innocent; Supreme Court May HelpMackinac Center signs onto amicus brief in Salgado v. United States January 6, 2020 | Facebook X Email Print By Jarrett Skorup Miladis Salgado is a…
- Forfeited profits: Why the feds chronically undersell seized propertyAnalysis shows DOJ flipped seized 1MDB assets for 41% less, on average, than fraudsters paid for them OCT 5, 2021, 7:30 AM By Erin Hudson UPDATED…
- For Phelps County: Seizing Suspects’ Assets Is Like ‘Pennies From Heaven’A newly renovated red-brick jail is nearing completion. Low-milage squad cars patrol the roads. A new high-tech courtroom makes it easier to guard…
- Five Myths of Civil Forfeiturehttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1YXcYtmjarlQi0RcWY0DVEJ1KmmvZ6KtfUaNW92YT_i8/edit?usp=sharing…
- Filmmaker Got Back His $69,000 ‘Stolen’ by DEA Agent, Plus a $15,000 SettlementIn August 2021, the U.S. Government agreed to pay Keddins Etiennes, an independent filmmaker, a $15,000 settlement, in addition to the approximately…
- Fighting Back against Government TheftOn March 4, 2015, police seized Massachusetts grandmother Malinda Harris’s Infiniti G37, based on their suspicion that her son, Trevice, was…
- Ferrari seized by FBI and featured in TV show sells for $760,000 at U.S. Marshals auctionBY SUHAUNA HUSSAINSTAFF WRITER FEB. 12, 2019 4 AM PT In 2013, “Fast N’ Loud” reality television star Richard Rawlings and his business partner Dennis…
- Feds to seize NYC skyscraper tied to ‘Iranian terrorism’It was once known as the Piaget Building because the Swiss jeweler used to have offices in the skyscraper near Rockefeller Center. In the near…
- Feds seized nearly $700 million from FTX founder Bankman-FriedJanuary 20, 2023 7:56 PM EST Updated a year ago Jan 20 (Reuters) – Federal prosecutors have seized nearly $700 million in assets from FTX founder Sam…
- Feds seize pill-pushing doc’s Brooklyn condoLazar Feygin forfeited medical license, real estate holdings after 16 felony convictions JUL 8, 2022, 1:54 PM By Orion Jones Save article The feds…
- Feds seize millions in PPP funds from international ministryPUBLISHED WED, DEC 16 2020 4:56 PM EST UPDATED WED, DEC 16 2020 6:40 PM EST Scott Zamost @SCOTTZAMOST The U.S. Secret Service seized more than $7.5…
- Feds seize cash, arrest 9 in L.A. fashion district sweepWilliam M. WelchUSA TODAY This photo provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shows a box of cash that was among items seized by federal…
- Feds charge 21 people in global crypto money laundering bustThe U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas announced on Wednesday that it has charged 21 people in a massive transnational crypto…
- Feds auction $13.5M worth of Silk Road bitcoinsThe U.S. Marshals began auctioning off about $13.5 million worth of bitcoins Thursday morning. The auction for the 50,000 units of digital…
- Feds Expand Forfeiture of CryptocurrencyThe Department of Justice (DOJ) plans a dramatic expansion in the federal government’s ability to seize and keep cryptocurrency, often…
- Federal Loophole Thwarts State Curbs on Police Seizures of PropertyOver the past three years, Melisa Ingram, a 50-year-old Detroit resident, has had her 2017 Ford Fusion seized twice by the Wayne County Sheriff’s…
- Federal Judge Effectively Ends Albuquerque’s Civil Asset Forfeiture Program as Too Focused on Revenue and Not on Due Processby Derek Gilna A federal judge in a July 28, 2018, ruling has effectively ended Albuquerque, New Mexico’s civil asset forfeiture program, finding…
- Fake Reform Won’t Fix Police Addiction To Forfeiture CashNursing student and single mom Stephanie Wilson will soon have a date at the Michigan Supreme Court, and she could lose her car in the process. Wayne…
- FBI misled judge who signed warrant for Beverly Hills seizure of $86 million in cashU.S. Private Vaults in Beverly Hills A customer who rented a safe-deposit box at U.S. Private Vaults outside the store in Beverly Hills. (Christina…
- FBI gives up attempt to confiscate more than $1 million in California pot-store cashBags of marijuana being sold for cash at a marketplace in Los Angeles. Marijuana is sold for cash in Los Angeles. (Associated Press) BY MICHAEL…
- FBI and California sheriff illegally seized marijuana cash belonging to licensed dispensaries, lawsuit claimsJosh Campbell By Josh Campbell, CNN 4 minute read Published 10:08 PM EST, Mon January 31, 2022 San Bernardino Sheriff patrol car FILE Jonathan…
- FBI Uses “Cute” Propaganda Campaign to Justify Civil Asset ForfeitureYou can’t make this up. The FBI is normalizing the concept of civil asset forfeiture by using videos with cute puppies. On June 25, 2019, the FBI…
- FBI Seized $86 Million In Raid On Innocent Americans’ Safe Boxes After Duping Judge For WarrantBY: EVITA DUFFY-ALFONSO SEPTEMBER 27, 2022 ‘The government’s theory is that having cash makes you a presumptive criminal, and I think every American…
- EDITORIAL: Civil asset forfeiture horror story shows need for reformEvery once in a while, a criminal makes a mighty blunder when sizing up a potential mark. The same can be said of the police. Last week, federal…
- Ducey signs bill requiring conviction before assets are seizedProsecutors and law enforcement agencies will no longer be permitted to permanently seize people’s property for alleged criminal wrongdoing without…
- Distracted media missed the asset forfeiture issueApparently the President of the United States is now in the business of threatening political careers. After being told by a Texas sheriff about a…
- Dirty money: How asset forfeiture is returning billions to the federal coffersIt’s like an unforgettable scene from the television crime drama, Miami Vice — Detectives Rico Tubbs and Sonny Crockett pursue some of the biggest…
- Digital Tyranny: Beware of the Government’s Push for a Digital Currency“The greatest tyrannies are always perpetrated in the name of the noblest causes.”—Thomas Paine The government wants your money.It will beg, steal or…
- Deputy Has Midas Touch in Asset SeizuresJUNE 17, 200811:46 AM ET HEARD ON ALL THINGS CONSIDERED By John Burnett Listen Download Transcript Third installment of a four-part series Chief…
- Dallas Police Took $106,000 From a Traveler. They Haven’t Explained Why.A police dog’s alert prompted the search, and the money was seized via civil asset forfeiture. JOE LANCASTER | 12.8.2021 3:50 PM On Sunday, a…
- Dallas Police Seized $100K In Cash From Love Field Traveler Using Civil Asset ForfeitureDALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – The Dallas Police Department seized more than $100,000 from a 25-year-old Chicago woman at Love Field using a process known as…
- Dallas K-9 Instrumental in Civil Forfeiture of $106,000 at Love Field Airport Despite There Being no Arrest or CrimeA police dog with the Dallas Police Department sniffed out $106,000 in cash in a traveler’s suitcase on December 2, 2021, at Dallas’ Love Field…
- DEA Continues to Seize Money Without Proof of CriminalityKermit Warren is the latest victim of unconscionable governmental abuses of the civil asset forfeiture laws. The Drug Enforcement Agency (“DEA”) is…
- Cryptoassets could be seized to stop crime, UK government saysLONDON, April 28 (Reuters) – Cryptoassets could be seized to help combat economic crime, Britain’s government said on Thursday, but its proposal…
- Criminal Justice Reform? We’re Making ProgressIf you had asked your legislator last year about their stance on civil asset forfeiture, jail food, or marijuana reclassification you would likely…
- Court Blocks Unconstitutional Government Seizure of Mongols Motorcycle Club TrademarkMore than 10 years ago, the Department of Justice launched an unconstitutional campaign of censorship against a motorcycle club and its mostly Latino…
- Countering Civil Forfeiture Myths with FactsEvery year, federal, state, and local government agents take—and permanently keep—billions of dollars of Americans’ property through civil…
- Cops Seized $8,000 From Her and Never Charged Her With a CrimeAfter Rochester police took her cash, Cristal Starling found out just how hard it is to challenge civil asset forfeiture in court. C.J. CIARAMELLA |…
- Cops Seize Almost $150,000 from Black Musician for Not Using His Turn Signalby Dale Chappell How much does a ticket for not using your turn signal “a full 100 feet” before making a lane change cost in Oklahoma County?…
- Controversial civil forfeiture program back in actionIn 2012, Alda Gentile, her son and baby grandson were driving from Florida to New York when police stopped her. Gentile, who’d been working as a limo…
- Congress Takes Positive Steps to Protect Property Owners From Asset SeizureThree amendments to a recent appropriations bill, if signed into law, will prevent the Justice Department from resuming the controversial “adoptive…
- Condo board looks to evict buyer of heavily discounted 1MDB penthouseLatest legal dispute comes a year after U.S. Marshals sold the Walker Tower penthouse at a 64% discount OCT 13, 2021, 9:00 AM By Erin Hudson The…
- Clarence Thomas vs. Jeff Sessions on Civil Asset ForfeitureAsset forfeiture has “led to egregious and well-chronicled abuses,” Thomas writes. DAMON ROOT | 7.20.2017 10:45 AM Attorney General Jeff Sessions…
- Civil forfeiture: Fighting socialism in Mississippi and throughout the Deep SouthWhat does present-day Venezuela have in common with Mississippi in 2014? Both empowered the government to take private property without the benefit…
- Civil asset forfeiture: I’m a grandmother, not a drug lord. Why can police take my property?It shouldn’t take six years and the threat of legal action to be treated fairly. I hadn’t been accused of any crime. I shouldn’t have been punished.…
- Civil asset forfeiture reform is sweeping the nationThere’s an under-the-radar fight brewing in Washington, D.C., and in states across the nation. The debate concerns when law enforcement can take…
- Civil asset forfeiture is a dangerous toolSouth Africa’s civil forfeiture law is based on American law with a long history going back to feudal times, and even earlier. Then, as now, it is…
- Civil asset forfeiture in South Carolina is unconstitutional, circuit court judge rulesA South Carolina circuit court judge in Horry County has ruled the state’s civil asset forfeiture law unconstitutional, in violation of the U.S.…
- Civil asset forfeiture creates perverse incentives that can cost you your property.By Steven W. Hawkins ContributorAug. 24, 2016, at 2:45 p.m. U.S. News & World Report More Protect property owners.(TRAVELER1116/GETTY STOCK IMAGES)…
- Civil Forfeiture: Can the Government Really Seize and Take Ownership of My Company’s Assets?In 2017, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) reported more than $8.2 billion held in its forfeited-assets fund, [1] which is a $600 million increase…
- Civil Forfeiture: A Civil Rights ViolationAt the core of the American founding is protecting the civil rights of the people. The list of “repeated injuries and usurpations,” by King George…
- Civil Forfeiture Often Focuses on Profit Instead of Public SafetyWhen Lewis Cain was roused from sleep by police officers in his home demanding the keys to his BMW, he objected. Still, cops drove away in his car.…
- Civil Forfeiture Now Requires A Criminal Conviction In Montana And New MexicoJust in time for the Fourth of July, states are declaring their independence from civil forfeiture. Enabled by civil forfeiture laws, police can…
- Civil Forfeiture Laws And The Continued Assault On Private PropertyCivil forfeiture laws represent one of the most serious assaults on private property rights in the nation today. Under civil forfeiture, police and…
- Civil Asset Forfeiture: Where Due Process Goes to DiePolice can take your money or property and keep it, even if no charges are filed. Clarence Thomas is famously taciturn on the bench. But his few…
- Civil Asset Forfeiture: Unfair, Unjust, Un-AmericanSince the advent of the War on Drugs, law enforcement agencies have used civil asset forfeiture laws to strip Americans of billions of dollars in…
- Civil Asset Forfeiture: Grading the StatesCivil asset forfeiture is a unique area of law in which the government charges specific property of being guilty of wrongdoing, rather than a person.…
- Civil Asset Forfeiture “Has Created Serious Problems”Alabama businessman Frank Ranelli had 130 computers seized from his computer repair business based on a tip that he was dealing in stolen…
- Civil Asset Forfeiture Still Abused by Florida Law EnforcementFlorida is still one of the most prolific practitioners of civil asset forfeiture in the United States, seizing $47.8 million in the 2018-2019 fiscal…
- Charlotte Is Ground Zero for New FBI Asset Forfeiture Tip Line ProgramThe FBI has identified Charlotte, North Carolina, as a drug trafficking hub because it has “multiple interstates running directly through” it. The…
- Cash Seizures by Police Prompt Court FightsJUNE 16, 20082:04 PM ET HEARD ON ALL THINGS CONSIDERED By John Burnett Listen Download Transcript Second installment of a four-part series. A Primer…
- Can the Trump Administration Use Asset Forfeiture Funds to Build the Border Wall?Hawaiian vacation. Margarita machine. Sparkles the Clown. Are we going to add Trump’s border wall to the list of “ridiculous things” that civil asset…
- California May Be Next to Pass Police Asset Forfeiture ReformLaw enforcement agencies would be blocked from bypassing state restrictions by turning to the Department of Justice. SCOTT SHACKFORD | 6.8.2015 3:25…
- California Losing Millions in Civil Asset Forfeiture Funds as Law Aims to Curb Police AbuseFor decades, federal asset forfeiture revenue in California soared from the sale of seized properties. Police used federal law to seize everything…
- Both parties in New Mexico and elsewhere see bad problems in good-intentioned civil forfeiture lawsOn the last day of its session, the New Mexico Legislature unanimously passed a landmark bill to limit civil forfeiture. Now, the bipartisan House…
- Boston police bought spy tech with a pot of money hidden from the publiccross the country, some law enforcement agencies have deployed controversial surveillance technology to track cell phone location and use. Critics…
- Boston Cops Fleece Citizens to Secretly Buy Controversial Spy TechBoston police used money obtained via civil asset forfeiture to secretly purchase high-tech cell phone surveillance equipment, a new report claims.…
- Behind-the-scenes strife led to CEO Stumpf forfeiting $41 millionWells Fargo claw backs spark boardroom drama The behind-the-scenes acrimony at Wells Fargo — as much as pressure from Capitol Hill and the public…
- Bank Deposits, Structuring, and Asset ForfeituresStephen J. Dunn Contributor Apr 19, 2014,02:29pm EDT This is a version of an article originally published in the Winter 2014 issue of the White…
- Ban on Purchasing Certain Equipment with Equitable Sharing FundsOn January 16, 2015, President Barack Obama issued Executive Order 13688, “Federal Support for Local Law Enforcement Equipment Acquisition” to…
- Avoid seizures of cash by taking prudent measuresCivil asset forfeiture became a triggering topic for some of us when the case of Jerry Johnson came to our attention. He is a small-business trucking…
- Asset Forfeitures:The Free Market and Property RightsAs Cecilia Ibru goes to prison for bank fraud as a result of her plea bargain, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) prosecutors have…
- Asset Forfeitures Fund New York DA’s Office BonusesAn investigation by Newsday has uncovered records showing bonus payments to Suffolk County, New York district attorney employees that totaled $3.25…
- Asset Forfeiture; a Commentary on the Legal Marijuana Industry’s Achilles HeelGiven the United States’ current political climate, bi-partisan unity has become a seemingly rare occurrence, especially in the country’s highest…
- Asset Forfeiture Not So Helpful to Crime-FightingThe two supreme governmental systems in the U.S. are the overall federal government and the lesser, yet still quite powerful 50 state governments.…
- Asset Forfeiture Laws ‘Evil’ and ‘Unreformable,’ Say Former Justice Department OfficialsLast week The Washington Post ran a series of in-depth articles on the problems with civil asset forfeiture. Today, two former justice department…
- Arizona Legislature Passes Bill Requiring Convictions for Asset ForfeitureIf the governor signs the bill into law, Arizona will become the 16th state to require a conviction for asset forfeiture. C.J. CIARAMELLA | 4.29.2021…
- Arizona Adopts Landmark Civil Forfeiture Reform LegislationOn May 6, Arizona Governor Greg Ducey signed into law House Bill 2810, which reforms the state’s civil forfeiture law and strengthens due process and…
- Are law enforcement agencies abusing civil asset forfeiture?Civil asset forfeiture allows law enforcement agencies to seize private property or assets that are suspected of being used for criminal activity.…
- An Overview of Recent State-Level Forfeiture ReformsCivil asset forfeiture is a law enforcement tool that enables the seizure and eventual forfeiture of real and personal property that may have been…
- An Indiana man was caught with $260 of heroin. The state took his $42,000 Land Rover.Hoosier Tyson Timbs is on the brink of a Supreme Court decision that may change constitutional law. Gain understanding every day from IndyStar … and…
- An Illustrated Guide to Civil Asset ForfeitureThis cheerfully drawn comic from the Daily Signal does an excellent job highlighting the insanity of civil asset forfeiture. It begins with a…
- America’s Asset-Forfeiture Scam Is Law Enforcement’s DisgraceIf Congress won’t act, the Supreme Court may move to rein in the practice. One day, the federal government just might sue my truck. I’ve got a Toyota…
- American Forfeiture Law: Property Owners Meet the ProsecutorForfeiture laws have become increasingly popular with state and federal law enforcement officials during the last 10 years. A subject once relegated…
- Albany district attorney, sheriff under federal review for use of fundsThe Department of Justice is reviewing the offices’ use of federal forfeiture funds after two audits By Steve Hughes Updated Jan 12, 2023 7:13 a.m.…
- Alabama Shows How Law Enforcement Can Get Behind Asset Forfeiture ReformBeginning March 1, Alabama’s district attorneys’ offices will track and then publish a wide range of data on asset forfeiture cases. Alabama is…
- Alabama Passes Asset Forfeiture Accountability BillOn Monday, June 10, 2019, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed a bill into law, SB 191 which now imposes strict reporting requirements for all asset…
- Airport Pirates Find Bounty in a College Student’s Life SavingsToday, our friends at the Institute for Justice launched a new challenge to yet another instance of egregious civil asset forfeiture abuse. Charles…
- After the Cops Seized Her Car, the Government Waited Five Years Before Giving Her a Chance To Get It BackIn Massachusetts, Malinda Harris argues, civil asset forfeiture routinely violates the right to due process. JACOB SULLUM | 3.2.2021 5:35 PM On March…
- After Having His Motel Seized by the Government, Victim of Civil Asset Forfeiture Reflects on His FightRuss Caswell, owner of Motel Caswell in Tewksbury, Mass., fought the law and won. Now, he’s reflecting on his experiences with a law enforcement tool…
- After FBI seizure of safe deposit boxes in Beverly Hills, legal challenges mountWilliam, who wishes to conceal his identity, is photographed at U.S. Private Vaults in Beverly Hills William, who wishes to conceal his identity, is…
- AOC Discovers the Horrors of Civil Asset Forfeiture, Rails Against the Practice in Congressional HearingAmerica’s civil asset forfeiture system is unfair, un-American, and ripe for reform—and people are finally beginning to notice. Saturday, December…
- A new twist on asset forfeitureA part of its ongoing legal battle with the Mongols Nation motorcycle club of California, the federal government several years ago attempted, after…
- A look into DHS asset forfeiture proceduresUnder federal civil forfeiture laws, law enforcement agencies are allowed to seize money and property they come across in the course of their…
- A former Marine was pulled over for following a truck too closely. Police took nearly $87,000 of his cash.The Nevada trooper first told Stephen Lara the highway patrol was educating drivers “about violations they may not realize they’re committing,” and…
- A dysfunctional civil-forfeiture system seizes savings, destroys livesMandrel Stuart used to be a small-business owner. Unfortunately, he had to close down his Staunton, Virginia restaurant, the Smoking Rooster. Not…
- A Setback for JusticeWhile efforts to reform criminal justice and policing policies have swept the nation – and particularly in red states, with many big initiatives…
- A Primer on Dirty MoneyJUNE 15, 200812:01 AM ET By John Burnett Why is there so much drug money moving on U.S. highways, and what happened to money-laundering through…
- A Judge Tells the FBI It Can’t Keep Millions in Loot Seized from a Beverly Hills VaultIndividuals keeping their valuables in safe deposit boxes at a strip mall vault store scored a victory this week IAN SPIEGELMANJUN 24, 2021 The Feds…
- A Comparison of Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeiture Procedures: Which Provides More Protections for Property Owners?Unlike civil forfeiture, U.S. criminal forfeiture laws have never been reformed at the federal level. Congressman Henry Hyde (R–IL), who served as…
- 5 states that reformed civil forfeiture laws – and one that didn’tWe looked at some of the states that have restricted civil forfeiture in recent years and some that haven’t. We looked at some of the states that…
- 18 U.S.C. § 981. CIVIL FORFEITUREUnited States Code Title 18. Crimes and Criminal Procedure Part I. Crimes (Chapters 1 — 123) Chapter 46. Forfeiture (§§ 981 — 987) 18 U.S.C. § 981.…
- $3 Million Federal Court Settlement: Philadelphia Agrees to End Civil Forfeitureby Derek Gilna A federal civil rights suit alleging massive abuse of Philadelphia’s civil asset forfeiture program was settled in September 2018 for…
- Digital Asset Forfeiture Abuse: Real Cases and Red FlagsWhen the government seizes your crypto, it’s supposed to be based on evidence and due process. But in reality? Seizures are sometimes based on faulty…
- 18 U.S.C. § 983. GENERAL RULES FOR CIVIL FORFEITURE PROCEEDINGSUnited States Code Title 18. Crimes and Criminal Procedure Part I. Crimes (Chapters 1 — 123) Chapter 46. Forfeiture (§§ 981 — 987) 18 U.S.C. § 983.…
- 18 U.S.C. § 982 CRIMINAL FORFEITUREUnited States Code Title 18. Crimes and Criminal Procedure Part I. Crimes (Chapters 1 — 123) Chapter 46. Forfeiture (§§ 981 — 987) 18 U.S.C. § 982…
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