Rampant Seizures By Law Enforcement Without Due Process

A long-standing and lucrative practice, whereby local law enforcement agencies augment their budgets by seizing assets of people who have not been convicted or charged with crimes, without due process or virtually any process at all, gets an airing in the New York Times. The article centers on some recorded CLE-type presentations for law enforcement, in which the procedure, known as civil asset forfeiture, is touted for its benefits and the law enforcement agencies are given some practical tips about the kind of stuff that makes the best take (e.g. cars, cash and flat screen TVs). The practice became somewhat popular during the 1980s war on drugs, but more recently has taken off. The Times reports that under a DOJ program, the value of assets seized shot up to $4.3 billion in 2012, compared to $407 million in 2001.