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Civil Asset Forfeiture:
Imagine that the police had the right to seize your property -- your home, your car, your business, your cash -- and you hadn't even been arrested, charged or convicted of a crime. Believe it or not, under the law of civil asset forfeiture, such conduct by the police is perfectly legal.Currently asset forfeiture is used by federal law enforcement officials as a dream way to fill their coffers by seizing assets allegedly used in a crime. But asset forfeiture has become a nightmare for many Americans who have been accused of a crime but have not been proven guilty. In many cases, even when the accused citizens are found innocent, they face an expensive struggle with government bureaucrats to recover their property. Many times they are unsuccessful in ever recovering their property!In anticipation of action on this critical issue in the upcoming Congress, the ACLU has purchased an ad in the New York Times to raise public awareness and mobilize grassroots action. You can see a copy of the ad and send a FREE FAX to your members of Congress by visiting the ACLU web site athttp://www.aclu.org/features/nytimesad121198.html