People who lost money, cars, and homes to Philadephia’s civil asset forfeiture statutes are entitled to reimbursement if they file a claim by December 6.
The city settled a class action lawsuit last year and agreed to reform its civil forfeiture program—the legal practice that allows law enforcement agencies to seize cash, vehicles, and property that is suspected of being connected to a crime, sometimes without even charging or convicting the property owner for a crime.
A South Carolina judge has ruled the state’s civil asset forfeiture laws violate the state and federal constitutions.
Horry County Judge Steven H. John declared that the South Carolina’s forfeiture laws violate constitutional protections against excessive fines by allowing the government to seize amounts of cash and property disproportionate to the alleged crime.
The case against Silver International has been dropped by the British Columbia Supreme Court. The company, run by Caixuan Qin and her husband Jian Jun Zhu, was being prosecuted for money-laundering. This case is being lauded as the largest money-laundering case in BC history.
Known as Operation E-Pirate, this was the pinnacle of the RCMP investigation. It was focused on illegal banking networks that linked back to organized crime units, both national and international. Continue reading
There have been many cases of controversial searches and seizures in Amtrak’s Southwest Chief, which is one of the longest railways in the United States, located between Chicago and Los Angeles. The cases started with that of Richard Mckenzie back in 2008 when Mckenzie boarded Southwest Chief from Flagstaff, Arizona.
The nature of these seizures has been called into question, as reports have shown that most of these searches are based on hunches rather than evidence. It is not clear whether anyone who has been searched or had property under suspicious circumstances has acquired legal representation for civil asset forfeiture.
Toby and Katrina Scognamiglio of Seminole, FL, are accusing K&S Wholesale Tile of refusing to give a refund after the company failed to deliver materials they paid for last October.
The Scognamiglios thought it was an isolated incident and were surprised to discover a news report about another couple with a similar story involving the same tile company.
Criminal Defense and Civil Forfeiture Blog