Alasdair Whitney serves as legislative counsel for the Institute for Justice. Alasdair advocates for legislative reform across the country in the areas of economic liberty, free speech, property rights and other civil liberties.
Prior to joining IJ, Alasdair served as an assistant attorney general in the Office of the Illinois Attorney General where he successfully defended criminal convictions in state and federal courts. Alasdair started his legal career as an associate attorney at DLA Piper.
Alasdair received his law degree from Notre Dame Law School. As a law student, he interned for Chief Justice Stephen Markman of the Michigan Supreme Court and Judge David McKeague of the United State Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. He earned his bachelor’s degree in international relations from Michigan State University.
Alasdair's Legislation
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Criminal Forfeiture Process Act
Civil forfeiture is a serious assault by government on cars, cash and other property. To lose your property in most states, prosecutors do not have to charge you, let alone convict you of a crime.
4th Amendment Project | Open Fields Doctrine
Protecting Real Property From Warrantless Searches Act
The Fourth Amendment protects the right to be secure from government’s unchecked power to search and seize. Ordinarily, courts enforce that right by requiring a warrant before government officials enter private property. But in 1924,…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Anti-Circumvention Forfeiture Act
Under civil forfeiture, the state can permanently confiscate your cash, car, and other property, without a prosecutor convicting, or even charging you with a crime. Although some states have acted to protect innocent property owners,…
Fines and Fees | Private Property
Fair Funding for Courts Act
The justice system is a core government function that benefits all Americans. State legislators should fund courts from general revenue, not from individuals involved in the system. Fees charged to users of the judicial system…
4th Amendment Project | Third Party Doctrine
Protection of Shared Physical and Digital Property from Warrantless Searches Act
The Fourth Amendment aims to safeguard privacy and property by restricting the government’s authority to conduct searches and seizures. Typically, officials are required to secure a warrant from a judge before they can examine or…
Civil Forfeiture | Private Property
Seizure and Forfeiture Reporting Act
Civil forfeiture—where the government can take and keep your property without ever charging you with a crime, let alone convicting you of one—is one of the greatest threats to property rights in the nation. Such…
Fines and Fees
Fines and Fees Reporting Act
Most municipalities allow law or code enforcement officers to cite residents for violations that may result in fines. Unfortunately, some use this power to generate revenue rather than solely to protect public safety and property.
Fines and Fees
Driver’s License Suspensions and Revocations
Eleven million Americans face the suspension or revocation of driving privileges because of unpaid fines and fees. Suspending and revoking licenses for the collection of court debt, and not public safety, is bad public policy.
Fines and Fees
Fines and Fees at Sentencing Act
Fines and fees are a routine part of criminal sentences. Many courts, however, fail to consider an offender’s ability to pay before assessing them. In fact, offenders often are ordered to pay fines and fees…