Reason: Arizona's Newly Enacted Forfeiture Reforms Will Make It Harder for Cops To Steal Property
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“This does not prevent law enforcement from doing their jobs," Lauren Krisai, a senior policy analyst at the Justice Action Network, told The Arizona Republic. "They can still seize property that they are suspecting is connected to a crime. They just have to achieve a criminal conviction before they can permanently keep it." Adel thinks that is too much to expect, because "in many situations" it is "obvious that funds are the product of criminal activity"—too obvious to bother proving it.
"Civil forfeiture threatens everyone's property and due process rights," says Paul Avelar, managing attorney at the Institute for Justice's Arizona office. "The government can take your car, your home, and your life savings without ever charging you with a crime, much less convicting you. HB 2810 makes important reforms to Arizona's forfeiture laws to protect innocent property owners from government abuse."