Criminal Defense and Civil Forfeiture Blog
A federal class-action lawsuit recently filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama is challenging the constitutionality of the state’s civil asset forfeiture system.
Civil asset forfeiture is a legal practice that allows law enforcement to take possession of private property—cash, vehicles, real estate, etc.—if it is suspected of being connected to criminal activity. In many states, an individual doesn’t even need to be charged with a crime before their property is taken.