Earlier this week, the ACLU of Nebraska released Guilty Money, a report on civil forfeiture in Nebraska. The issue of law enforcement seizures has grabbed national attention and for good reason. The practice allows law enforcement to take your property without you ever being convicted of a crime.
In an editorial today, the Lincoln Journal Star joined the ACLU in calling on law makers for reform:
Since the civil forfeiture program began in 1985, it has become increasingly expensive and time-consuming for innocent people caught in the program to assert their individual rights. State lawmakers should take action, so that when a highway robbery occurs it can be taken for granted that it was committed by the criminals -- not the cops.