True. And as time passes more and more suitors to power arrive. Some want to honestly "fix" things so long as they are the ones to do the fixing, others simply hunger for power, still others for power and wealth. For these people, the true Mecca is DC. The guise of patriotism puts a pretty face on it but underneath is Dorian Gray.

legally, this is why assets are rarely returned. They are, in fact, the "accused." We can blame the legal profession, but this is state and federal law. Look to the legislators who designed the law.

Actually Lucky is correct legally. Which is why the owner has to prove their innocence..

"Over time, proponents of civil forfeiture have lost sight of this narrow and laudable purpose" It was never noble or laudable, it was a violation of our rights. This is what happens when (listen up conservatives) you compromise principles.

Unfortunately the levers of power to crush liberty are still operational.

Another step among many toward totalitarianism.

DC Is a ruin. It just isn't smoking. Yet.

Makes me think of a land filled with medieval lords who send out "official officer" thugs to loot helpless peasants.

If honest Americans acted in the same way against government as it has acted against honest innocent people, DC would be a smoking ruin.

There you go, land of the free, right? Sounds a lot like a fascist regime to me...

Lucky, they are not arresting the object, they are punishing the percieved offender associated to the object. In this case the kid was the offender driving the car, therefore, they took it, and forced the real owner to pay them ransom to get it back. So, if someone stole your car, then they can impound and sell it because he was in a crime. The scary part is the discussion on how you do not even need a crime in some states, for the creeps to steal your stuff and sell it. The slide to AS continues...

The article says: " The original narrow and laudable purpose of the process has been overrun."
I remain to be convinced that such confiscation of property can ever be correct.

It is a logical fallacy that objects can commit crimes and so can be arrested, a motor vehicle has caused the driver to have an expired license, likewise a gun decides to get up and shoot someone. There is something pre- historic about this in attributing souls, spirits and free will to stones and lumps of metal.
This silly and harmful idea has spread maybe as it helps lazy law enforcement and an irresponsible legal profession.

"no criminal charges or convictions are required to permanently strip someone of her property"
If I hadn't heard about this for the past 20 years, I'd think this is impossible.