Every year, Indiana prosecutors produce reports for lawmakers detailing forfeiture activity in the state, but Bad Data shows these reports should be taken with a multimillion-dollar grain of salt. This study finds nearly 2,000 forfeiture cases worth more than $10 million over six years that were never reported, and the problem was worse in counties that farm out forfeiture cases to private attorneys who get paid only if they win. Not only that, but the case data that are reported are hopelessly inaccurate, giving lawmakers and the public a false picture of how forfeiture works in the state—a huge concern given that Indiana’s forfeiture laws are some of the worst in the country for protecting property and due process rights.
Bad Data
