https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicksibilla/2020/01/28/new-jersey-is-now-the-16th-state-to-require-convictions-for-civil-forfeiture/New Jersey Is Now The 16th State To Require Convictions For Civil ForfeitureNew Jersey became the latest state to protect individuals from civil forfeiture, which lets police and prosecutors confiscate property without ever having to charge someone with a crime. Signed by Gov. Phil Murphy last week, under the new law (A.4970), prosecutors will need to secure a criminal conviction to forfeit property valued at or below $10,000, or less than $1,000 in cash. Any property seized under those thresholds will have to be returned if an owner is acquitted, or if prosecutors dismiss or don’t bring charges.
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The state’s new conviction requirements should apply to the overwhelming majority of property confiscated by New Jersey law enforcement. Data analysis by the Institute for Justice found that between 2014 and 2018, county prosecutors forfeited over 1,200 vehicles, more than 90% of which were worth $10,000 or below.
Is this a step in the right direction or a refusal to extend equal protection to "the rich"?
