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Fact Check: Philadelphia’s District Attorney’s Office Misleads on Civil Forfeiture
CONTACT: Nico Perrino, (703) 682-9320; nperrino@ij.org; endforfeiture.com For weeks, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office refused to respond to the facts revealed in a class-action lawsuit challenging the city’s shocking system of using civil forfeiture to seize nearly $6 million in property from thousands of its citizens each year. Now, the DA’s Office is speaking out…
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Homeowners Move to Suspend Philadelphia’s Practice of Using Civil Forfeiture to Seize and Seal Homes Without Warning
PHILADELPHIA—Today, the Institute for Justice and a group of Philadelphia homeowners asked a federal court to suspend the city’s shocking practice of using civil forfeiture to seize hundreds of its citizens’ homes each year without providing them any warning or an opportunity to go before a judge. The motion for a preliminary injunction filed today comes less…
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As The Washington Post Exposes Rampant Forfeiture Abuse on Nation’s Highways, New Study Demonstrates How Civil Forfeiture Tempts Cops to Become Robbers
Washington, D.C.—Imagine getting pulled over for a broken taillight or a forgotten turn signal, only to have your car and the cash you were traveling with confiscated by the police. As The Washington Post documents this week in an explosive three-part series, Stop and seize, exposing rampant abuse of forfeiture laws, that nightmare is an underreported reality…
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Minnesota Supreme Court Upholds Constitutional Protection of Private Property in Civil Forfeiture Cases
In a case involving whether the government can violate property owners’ constitutional rights and get away with it, today the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled squarely in favor of property rights. The case, Garcia-Mendoza v. 2003 Chevy Tahoe, is a victory in the nationwide battle against civil forfeiture. Civil forfeiture is a legal procedure giving law enforcement…
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Federal Lawsuit Challenges Philadelphia’s Civil Forfeiture Machine
Police and prosecutors use civil forfeiture to strip thousands of Americans of their rights and property—nowhere is the problem more rampant than in Philadelphia Key Facts: In 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice’s forfeiture fund held more than $1.8 billion. Philly forfeits $6 million each year from residents using civil forfeiture. 40 percent of the…
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Institute for Justice Launches Online Effort to Stop Policing for Profit
Arlington, Va.—Civil forfeiture is one of the biggest threats to property rights in America today. It allows law enforcement to take cash, cars, homes and other property of Americans without so much as charging —let alone convicting—the owner with a crime and then profit from the proceeds. In the last week, legislators in both the…
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Rep. Fights Forfeiture with Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2014
In the House of Representatives, Congressman Tim Walberg has sponsored H.R. 5212, the Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2014 (CAFRA 2014), to reform federal civil forfeiture laws. Like the FAIR Act, Walberg’s bill would: Shift the burden of proof to the federal government. Under current law, property owners are required to prove they are…
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Rand Paul Introduces Forfeiture Reform in Senate
Sen. Rand Paul has introduced S. 2644, the Fifth Amendment Integrity Restoration Act (FAIR Act). This legislation would enact many important forfeiture reforms on the federal level, and, if passed, would: Shift the burden of proof to the federal government. Under current law, property owners are required to prove they are innocent to get their seized…