On February 4, 2020, The Institute for Justice filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Detroit, hoping to end the Motor City’s “seize and ransom” vehicle program. Detroit’s policing for profit scheme is very lucrative, as all money received through civil forfeiture goes directly to the police department responsible for the seizure. “Wayne County has seized more than 2,60 … [Read more...]
Civil Asset Forfeiture and the Lack of Due Process
I've written on civil asset forfeiture a lot lately and in response to my latest article, BC Civil Asset Forfeiture Office Proud to Steal From Mere Citizens, I received a email from Zoey DeGarmo asking if I would post an information graphic on my website. The infographic, created by ArrestRecords.com, goes into great detail of the abuses of civil asset forfeiture laws across … [Read more...]
BC Civil Asset Forfeiture Office Proud to Steal From Mere Citizens
My wife, bless her heart, cuts out articles from the newspaper for me. I'm sure she thinks she's doing me a favour, but most of the time the articles she cuts out just make my blood boil, such as the article she cut out for me the other day titled "BC Forfeiture Office Defends Its Record" by Ian Mulgrew. In Mulgrew's article the head of of BC's Civil Asset Forfeiture … [Read more...]
Minnesota’s Courageous Reform of Civil Asset Foreiture Law
Five years ago scandal over the horrific abuse of Minnesota's civil asset forfeiture law rocked the state. Their Metro Gang Strike Force (disbanded in the wake of the scandal) among others, grossly abused the power given them by the state's civil forfeiture legislation, giving way to these reforms. The Metro Gang Strike Force didn't care who they stole from. Anyone was fair … [Read more...]
Common Sense Finally Prevails in Russ Caswell’s Civil Forfeiture Nightmare
Russ Caswell, now 70, spent the last two years fighting local, state and federal agencies over who owns Motel Caswell, the motel owned by his family since 1955. I first wrote about Russ Caswell and his civil asset forfeiture nightmare on July 1, 2012 when his case broke internationally. From that article: It is now, like many older motels across the nation, home to … [Read more...]