It’s called federal asset sharing, and it puts innocent property owners at risk. That’s why JLF’s Jon Guze has released new in-depth analysis on preventing asset forfeiture abuse in North Carolina. Writes Jon:
Civil asset forfeiture is a legal process that empowers law enforcement agencies to confiscate property suspected of having been used for, or derived from, criminal activity. It is a civil action against the property itself, which results in cases with names like “United States v. $16,000”1 or “United States v. 7004 Calais Drive, Durham, NC.”2 The owner of the property need not be charged with, let alone convicted of, committing a crime. In fact, the owner need not even be a suspect, as Mary Ford, the owner of 7004 Calais Drive, discovered when her home was taken because her son was suspected of selling cocaine from the property.3
Federal asset sharing is a fascinating — and troubling — issue. Find out where North Carolina stands and take a look at the local agencies that are engaged in the practice. You’ll find all the data here.
