A Michigan congressman introduced a bill Thursday to end civil asset forfeiture, which allows police to seize a person's property on the suspicion that it was used in a crime. "Civil asset forfeiture is a due process violation, and it always has been," Rep. Justin Amash, L-Mich., said Thursday. Police counter that they need civil asset forfeiture to fight criminal organizations, but often the people who have their property seized are never charged with a crime. Since hiring an attorney to contest the forfeiture can be expensive, people who had property seized only sought its return in 22% of cases. "By ending [civil asset forfeiture], my bill helps fulfill Congress’ obligation to stop rights violations at both the state and federal level, and it ends a practice that contributes to the frayed relationship between law enforcement and the public," Amash said Thursday.

Source: Fox News December 18, 2020 23:48 UTC