Civil forfeiture is a civil rights nightmare, allowing police and prosecutors to seize billions of dollars’ worth of property annually—cash, cars, houses, bank accounts, and more—without charging anyone with a crime, let alone obtaining a conviction. On this episode, we trace the rise of the modern forfeiture regime in the 1970s and 80s, and we look at forfeiture’s historic roots.
Click here for episode transcript.
Guests
David Smith, David B. Smith, PLLC
Kevin Arlyck, Georgetown Law
Scott Bullock, Institute for Justice
Lisa Knepper, Institute for Justice
Tina Bennis
Resources
Lisa Knepper et al., Policing for Profit: The Abuse of Civil Asset Forfeiture
Brian Kelly, Does Forfeiture Work? Evidence from the States
Kevin Arlyck, The Founders’ Forfeiture
Sarah Stillman, Taken: The Rise of Civil Forfeiture
Henry Hyde, Forfeiting Our Property Rights: Is Your Property Safe From Seizure
David Smith, Prosecution and Defense of Forfeiture Cases
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