Alabama Passes Asset Forfeiture Accountability Bill
On Monday, June 10, 2019, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed a bill into law, SB 191 which now imposes strict reporting requirements for all asset forfeiture cases in the state. The Tenth Amendment Center reports that this “legislation takes the first step that could lead to substantive reforms, including closing a federal loophole that allows […]
Reasonable limits on asset forfeiture past-due
When law enforcement officials seize property gained through criminal activity, those of us on the right side of the law should applaud. When they seize property from individuals who not only haven’t been convicted of a crime but haven’t even been charged with a crime, something is amiss. A recent Supreme Court decision is a […]
Police agencies forfeit millions after new law chokes off funds from asset seizures
Jewels 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 seized in Beverly Hills. Federal law enforcement operations seized nearly $1.9 billion worth of airplanes, houses, cash, jewelry, cars and other items from suspected wrongdoers nationwide in 2018 — a […]
WHAT THE SUPREME COURT RULING COULD MEAN FOR CIVIL ASSET FORFEITURE
As the U.S. Supreme Court pointed out on Feb. 20, the constitutional clause that protects Americans from having to pay “excessive fines” traces its lineage to the Magna Carta, which set forth certain rights in England more than 800 years ago. The Founding Fathers considered this concept so important to the new American democracy that […]
Civil forfeiture: Fighting socialism in Mississippi and throughout the Deep South
What does present-day Venezuela have in common with Mississippi in 2014? Both empowered the government to take private property without the benefit of a court proceeding. Until late 2018, Mississippi practiced administrative forfeiture, a policy in which the state could take property worth up to $20,000 if government lawyers merely suspected it was connected to […]
How a Young Joe Biden Became the Architect of the Government’s Asset Forfeiture Program
A 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 Hackley Keith Hackley Politics Justice Joe Biden War on Drugs Civil Asset Forfeiture RICO Act Drugs facebook sharing buttontwitter sharing buttonflipboard sharing buttonreddit sharing buttonlinkedin sharing buttonemail sharing […]
Asset Forfeiture; a Commentary on the Legal Marijuana Industry’s Achilles Heel
Given the United States’ current political climate, bi-partisan unity has become a seemingly rare occurrence, especially in the country’s highest court. That’s what makes the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Timbs v. Indiana all the more special, especially in light of the civil rights subject matter in question. The February 20, 2019 unanimous ruling confirmed […]
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 prisoners. Outside the courtroom are exercise equipment and a shoot, no-shoot training facility for officers. All were funded by the cash and other property the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department has seized in […]
The Supreme Court Has Limited How Much Private Property States Can Seize
The Eighth Amendment bars the federal government from imposing excessive fines. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court held that the limit also applies to states and cities. Chris Geidner Chris Geidner BuzzFeed News Reporter Map of Washington, DC Reporting From Washington, DC Posted on February 20, 2019 at 3:18 pm Be one of the first to […]
North Dakota Takes A Bite Out Of Civil Asset Forfeiture
On 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 way in limiting law enforcement agencies’ ability to arrest people, seize their property, and keep what they’ve seized even in cases where no crime can be proven. Over […]
FBI Uses “Cute” Propaganda Campaign to Justify Civil Asset Forfeiture
You 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 tweeted a video of cute puppies to sell people on the idea of draconian civil asset forfeiture laws. In the tweet it stated, “civil forfeiture laws are helping […]
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 right now save, too: 3 months for $5 for new customers. The name of a case heard Wednesday by U.S. Supreme Court sounds strange: “Tyson Timbs and a 2012 Land […]
Two Celebrities Charged With Unlawfully Touting Coin Offerings
Washington D.C., Nov. 29, 2018 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced settled charges against professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. and music producer Khaled Khaled, known as DJ Khaled, for failing to disclose payments they received for promoting investments in Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs). These are the SEC’s first cases to charge touting violations […]
Small Heroin Sale Tees Up High Court Test of Forfeiture Laws
A 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 heard Nov. 28 by the U.S. Supreme Court in a case that started with a $260 heroin sale, the Indianapolis Star reports. So far, Indiana state courts have […]
Home, Assets Tied Up For Years As Family Awaits Forfeiture Process
Questions raised about how law enforcement freezes property during trial By Jarrett Skorup | August 22, 2018Share on FacebookShare on X The owners of a Michigan business were charged three years ago with running an illegal gambling operation. While the husband and wife who own the business have not been convicted of a crime, law […]
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