Bill Piper, Director of National Affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance, just sent this letter out to the agency's constituents via e-mail, announcing the Justice Department's ban on local and state police's use of "a federal program to seize a person's property without evidence of a crime." He also calls for public support "to end civil asset forfeiture for good!"
The Washington Post calls this "the most sweeping check on police power to confiscate personal property since the seizures began three decades ago as part of the war on drugs."
The Post also explained, "Since 2008, thousands of local and state police agencies have made more than 55,000 seizures of cash and property worth $3 billion under a civil asset forfeiture program at the Justice Department called Equitable Sharing. The program has enabled local and state police to make seizures and then have them “adopted” by federal agencies, which share in the proceeds. The program allowed police departments and drug task forces to keep up to 80 percent of the proceeds of the adopted seizures, with the rest going to federal agencies."
Exceptions to the property-confiscation policy include illegal firearms, explosives and items relating to child pornography, reports The Post.
"Critics of the decision say that depriving departments of the proceeds from civil asset forfeitures will hurt legitimate efforts to fight crime, drug smuggling and terrorism," according to the Washington Post's article.
Congress, however, must pass legislation to make the action permanent.
Here is Bill Piper's letter in its entirety:
Eric Holder just issued a huge blow to the drug war. This is big.Â
Today the Justice Department barred local and state police from using a federal program to seize a person's property without evidence of a crime.Â
That might sound odd, since you would assume that it was already illegal in America for police to take your property without due process - but you would be wrong. Originally pushed in the 1980s as a way to combat illegal drugs, civil asset forfeiture has become common throughout the country.Â
Today people all over America who are simply suspected of drug law violations can have their assets seized without any ability to defend themselves in a court of law. Even if they are never convicted, or even charged with a crime they can have their property, bank accounts, cars, and assets taken from them forever. If this doesn’t enrage you, I don’t know what will.Â
Civil asset forfeiture is another ugly aspect of the drug war, and here at the Drug Policy Alliance we are making it a top issue in 2015.Â
If you stand with us tweet out your support now to end unjust civil asset forfeiture for good!
Today’s actions by Eric Holder are a good first step to ending the unjust enforcement of this program once and for all. But now Congress needs to pass legislation to make this change permanent.Â
Sincerely,
Bill Piper
Director, National Affairs
Drug Policy Alliance