U.S. News

Civil asset forfeiture laws allow police to seize cash and property from people suspected of a crime without charging or convicting them of anything. The onus is then on the property owner to prove their innocence in court to get their assets back. While intended to target large criminal organizations, in practice forfeiture is often used against regular citizens for small amounts of cash. Federal authorities seize more cash and property from citizens through forfeiture than burglars actually steal, according to some estimates. However, there is little reform because law enforcement groups that benefit from forfeiture donate to elected officials who in turn resist reform efforts.