Michigan lawmakers should put an end to civil asset forfeiture. Recent reforms have improved the procedure and reduced its harms, but there are still too many problems with this practice. It is easily abused, and innocent people are hurt by it.
Short of eliminating the civil forfeiture, policymakers must ensure that all forfeiture activity is thoroughly and consistently reported annually and made available to the public. If this practice is allowed to persist, it must be transparent. Further, lawmakers should expand the requirement that government secure a criminal conviction before assets may be forfeited to include more crimes. This will help protect individuals from some types of forfeiture abuse.
Civil asset forfeiture may have once been a legitimate tool used by law enforcement to protect the public. But that is no longer the case. Forfeiture is routinely misused, as shown by the large number of people who have been treated unjustly by it. Michigan policymakers should end this practice, or, at a minimum, close the legal loopholes that prevent Michigan residents from being fully protected from forfeiture abuse.