License, registration, car keys, wallet, house, dog
Civil forfeiture laws and practices are
out of control in the United States. As more and more ludicrous examples of law enforcement stealing from the citizens of this country are shared around the internet and shown on the news, the
beginnings of action for reform have taken hold and things are starting to move forward. A good example of the abuses in civil asset forfeiture—
Michigan:
Attorney General Bill Schuette, Michigan's top law enforcement officer, is backing legislation that would begin to reform the state's civil asset forfeiture laws, which allow police to seize property linked to a crime even if charges are never filed.
House-approved bills awaiting action in the Michigan Senate would not eliminate civil asset forfeiture entirely, but they would require more transparency by law enforcement agencies and increase the burden of proof required to keep seized property.
The bad news is that this reform doesn't end civil forfeiture. The good news is that this bill would force these law enforcement agencies to actually report what they are stealing from citizens. There are more than enough crazy stories to go around but there are even more without paperwork.
In one notorious case, police raided the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit, seizing the cars of 44 patrons who had attended a dance party because organizers had served alcohol without a liquor license.
Michigan police agencies reported $24.3 million in civil asset forfeitures in 2013, according to the Michigan State Police, but those figures only include drug-specific cases, and eight percent of agencies never filed a report.
[bold my emphasis]
The fact that the Attorney General is backing this is important. By all standards the AG is the "top cop" in any given state. Let's hope that reform and finally abolishment becomes the trend.