According to the Constitution, we shall not be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
Shaila Dewan of the New York Times writes, "...civil asset forfeiture, which allows the government, without ever securing a conviction or even filing a criminal charge, to seize property suspected of having ties to crime..." She later added how it was expanded in the 80's to combat the "war on drugs". Also, "...It is difficult to tell how much has been seized by state and local law enforcement, but under a Justice Department program, the value of assets seized has ballooned to $4.3 billion in the 2012 fiscal year from $407 million in 2001. Much of that money is shared with local police forces."
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