ACLU Story on Civil Forfeiture
Civil Forfeiture is the ~legal mechanism by which a government agency can take away your possessions without due process if there is a suspicion that they were used in a crime. Drugs found in your car? Police take your car. Lots of money found that they suspect is illegally obtained, police seize your money.
Here is a great story recently on the ACLU website talking about a recent case and Georgia’s abusive civil forfeiture laws..
Short summary:
- It is just pure cash to the polic — it is one of the reasons why the war on drugs is fought so fiercely
- Story involves person that just sold a used car, they get stopped for some unspecified reason, cops take the money under suspicion that it was ill-gotten.
- Police ADMIT the money was taken unjustly, but, require the person to file an action to get it back — most people cannot afford the legal fees for such an action, and, frequently it would cost more in legal fees than the possession was worth.
- This is rampant abuse.
Police should NEVER have a monetary incentive to enforce the law. No fees from tickets, no civil forfeiture, etc. There is just too much room for evil…