Very big news: Attorney General Eric Holder today announced a
dramatic curtailing of federal civil asset forfeiture programs.
Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Friday barred local and state police from using federal law to seize cash, cars and other property without evidence that a crime occurred. [...]
Since 2008, thousands of local and state police agencies have made more than 55,000 seizures of cash and property worth $3 billion under a civil asset forfeiture program at the Justice Department called Equitable Sharing.
The program, which allows local police departments to confiscate cash, cars and other assets and use them for their own departments, has been highly controversial and has been seen as incentive for local departments to target their law enforcement actions toward more valuable and easily seized assets, as seen when
tape leaked of seminars coaching officers as to what kind of seizures were easiest and most profitable.
Holder’s decision allows some limited exceptions, including illegal firearms, ammunition, explosives and property associated with child pornography, a small fraction of the total. This would eliminate virtually all cash and vehicle seizures made by local and state police from the program.
Individual states have their own asset forfeiture laws, so Holder's decision won't end asset forfeiture programs entirely. But it will drastically reduce them, making this one of the signature acts of Holder's tenure.