Iowa

 

Grades
Forfeiture
Law Grade
State Law Evasion Grade  Final
Grade
Iowa

 

Forfeiture Law
Iowa’s civil forfeiture laws place a heavy burden on property owners.  Under state law, the prosecutor must only show that the property is related to criminal activity and can be forfeited by a preponderance of the evidence.  Once the prosecutor meets that burden, the burden is on the property owner to show his innocence, or in other words, that he did not know and could not have reasonably known of the conduct or that he acted reasonably to prevent the conduct giving rise to the forfeiture.  Moreover, law enforcement receives 100 percent of the value of any property seized under Iowa forfeiture law, and law enforcement agencies are not required to collect or report their forfeiture proceeds.

 

Forfeitures as Reported to LEMAS (Drug-related only)

Total Assets
Forfeited

Assets Forfeited per
Law Enforcement Agency

1993

$4,328,098

$20,830

1997

$3,068,909

$6,574

2000

$3,136,596

$6,862

2003

$2,463,424

$5,206

 

Equitable Sharing Proceeds from the Assets Forfeiture Fund (AFF)

Proceeds Returned to State

FY 2000

$725,201

FY 2001

$385,477

FY 2002

$454,855

FY 2003

$3,606,690

FY 2004

$3,429,906

FY 2005

$1,497,974

FY 2006

$2,261,349

FY 2007

$1,770,877

FY 2008

$1,577,120

Total

$15,709,449

Average per Year

$1,745,494

 

Freedom of Information Data
No Data Available; Not Required to Collect

 

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