Civil Forfeiture allows law enforcement to confiscate property and cash without having proof that a crime was committed. There are laws that address criminal forfeiture, confiscating the property of criminals, so a separate law to take the property of innocent people is unnecessary and wrong. I urge the Obama Administration to research the Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act and to request that Congress make civil forfeiture illegal. If the request is denied, reform is still needed. Civil forfeiture is a violation of both the 4th and 5th amendments. The 4th is supposed to protect against illegal search and seizure, and the 5th is supposed to prevent seizure of property before due process of law, such as a trial. In civil forfeiture, a trial isn’t required, nor is probable cause.
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