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 … [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...]
Russ Caswell’s Civil Forfeiture Nightmare
Russ Caswell is 68 years old. He has not been charged with a crime, yet the Tewksbury, Massachusetts, Police Department is using civil forfeiture laws to steal both his livelihood and his retirement estate. Russ Caswell owns and operates his family-owned motel called, oddly enough, the Motel Caswell. It’s not the Ritz but that’s to be expected given the motel was built by … [Read more...]