The Briefing Room
General Category => National/Breaking News => Topic started by: Frank Cannon on December 12, 2018, 02:55:23 pm
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https://fee.org/articles/philadelphias-perverse-civil-asset-forfeiture-machine-has-finally-come-to-an-end/
Philadelphia may be the birthplace of our Constitution, but its civil asset forfeiture program is anything but constitutional. The program has become so corrupt and far-reaching it is often referred to as a “perverse machine.†Luckily, after a four-year legal battle brought by the nonprofit law firm the Institute for Justice (IJ), the city has agreed to a settlement that will give its abusive forfeiture program a major overhaul and protect the rights of Philadelphia property owners.
In Philadelphia alone, 25,000 people have been victimized by the practice of asset forfeiture. Property confiscated by law enforcement includes 1,200 homes, 3,500 vehicles, and $50 million from residents. And the majority of these property owners were never actually convicted of a crime. But now, due to the diligent efforts of IJ, many of these individuals will finally see justice served.
Darpana Sheth, a senior attorney at IJ and director of its Initiative to End Forfeiture Abuse, commented:
“For too long, Philadelphia treated its citizens like ATMs, ensnaring thousands of people in a system designed to strip people of their property and their rights. No more. Today’s groundbreaking agreement will end years of abuse and create a fund to compensate innocent owners.â€
Policing for Profit
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It might be moot if the SC rules in favor of the dude in Indiana. You know him Frank. The guy whose Range Rover you want to buy.