asset forfeiture
Police Can Take Your Stuff for No Reason — And the Practice Is on the Rise
A new report details the rise of civil asset forfeiture, a process that allows cops to confiscate private property without charging anyone with a crime.
Want to Keep the Cops Out of Your Phone? A Fingerprint Scanner Won't Help
Law enforcement agents can make you swipe a finger to unlock your cell phone, but old-school passwords still offer some measure of privacy.
Are Libertarians Really to Blame for Ferguson?
The libertarian crowd has been warning about militarized police pretty much forever. But now they're getting blamed for empowering out-of-control local governments (and their cops).
Cops Can Take Your Stuff Without Convicting You of Anything
Since 2001, US police have seized $4.2 billion worth of goods from the public without so much as a trial.
Letting Marijuana Offenders Pay to Turn Felonies into Misdemeanors Is a Terrible Idea
It's a reform only the rich could love.
The Police Can Take Your Cash Without Charging You with a Crime
As Tan Nguyen found out when he drove with $50,000 in gambling winnings through Humboldt County, Nevada, the cops can seize your money even if you haven't been accused of any wrongdoing.
Legalizing Pot Makes Police Departments Poorer
Property seized in drug raids can help fund police operations, but now that marijuana is legal in Washington and Colorado there are going to be fewer drug raids, which means fewer seizures, which means less money for the cops. Good.
Asset Forfeiture, the Cash Cow of the Drug War
Cops routinely seize assets—like cars, money, and even hotels—that are linked to criminal activity, even if the property owner hasn't been convicted of a crime. This leads to a dangerous system of incentives whereby cops seize property in drug busts so...