Libertarian Party of Wisconsin Demands An End To Civil Asset Forfeiture

For decades, law enforcement agencies at the local, state, and federal levels have been exploiting an ancient law of last resort, civil asset forfeiture, as a way to pad their stats and supplement their budgets. For years, the Institute for Justice (IJ) has been fighting on behalf of Americans who have had their property seized, often with no charges filed or proof of wrongdoing, by a law enforcement agent who knows that the “offender” has neither the time or resources to fight to get their property back.

A recent example comes from a FedEx terminal in Indianapolis, Indiana. A parcel containing $42,000 of sales for a small, husband and wife jewelry business was seized by Indiana law enforcement.

“The Indiana government cannot take money from people just because a shipping company routes it through Indiana,” said IJ Attorney Marie Miller. “Henry and Minh have never been to Indiana or done business in Indiana, but now they have to defend against a forfeiture action in Indiana, without the state bothering to identify an Indiana crime that it can allege the money is linked to.” – IJ press release

These actions happen every day in America. Ordinary citizens, who have committed no crime, have their property snatched by government due to a loophole created by an outdated maritime law. The Libertarian Party of Wisconsin denounces these actions in the strongest of terms and demands that all of these loopholes be closed by all levels of government.

For more on the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin, please visit www.lpwi.org.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.