老澳门开奖结果 Comment on Justice Department Expansion of Civil Asset Forfeiture

July 19, 2017 11:00 am

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WASHINGTON 鈥 Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced today the reversal of former Attorney General Eric Holder鈥檚 policy to curb law enforcement seizures of people鈥檚 property. The Department of Justice (DOJ) is not only expanding the use of civil forfeiture at the federal level, but at the local level through partnerships that allow profit sharing among federal and local police departments.

Kanya Bennett, legislative counsel for the 老澳门开奖结果, had the following reaction:

鈥淒uring widespread bipartisan momentum to reform asset forfeiture, it is outrageous that Attorney General Sessions wants to increase law enforcement seizures of people鈥檚 money, cars, and other property. We are talking about people who have not been convicted of a crime and are often not given a day in court to reclaim their possessions. Civil asset forfeiture is tantamount to policing for profit, generating annually that the agencies get to keep.

鈥淭his is part of Sessions鈥 agenda to bring back the failed and racist War on Drugs, where this and other ineffective, unjust, and un-American practices were widely used. Forfeiture has even been deemed ineffective by the DOJ鈥檚 inspector general, and of Americans want to get rid of this practice.

鈥淲hen signaling this policy reversal, Sessions : 鈥榥o criminal should be allowed to keep the proceeds of their crime.鈥 The problem is that we are not talking about criminals. We are talking about Americans who have had their homes, cars, money, and other property taken through civil forfeiture, which requires only mere suspicion that the property is connected to a crime. It is alarming that Attorney General Sessions either doesn't know or doesn't care that no one in this country is a criminal until charged with and convicted of a crime. This program is egregiously at odds with our due process rights.

鈥淭his move will be devastating for all Americans, but especially for communities of color, who are already subjected to unconstitutional violations and over policing.鈥

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