Donald Trump versus the Founding Fathers: Private property rights are the cornerstone of liberty
Private property has always had a unique place in American society. The Founding Fathers recognized that government exists to protect private property. They were influenced by Enlightenment-era philosophers John Locke…
Yes, civil asset forfeiture denies innocent people of their right to due process
Oklahoma has some of the worst civil asset forfeiture laws in the country. According to FreedomWorks’ state scorecard, Civil Asset Forfeiture: Grading the States, the standard of proof the…
Desert Snow: The company that teaches the government how to take innocent people’s property
Over the last several weeks, FreedomWorks has released two publications discussing in detail the problems with civil asset forfeiture. First, we released Civil Asset Forfeiture: Grading the States, which,…
Lawsuit seeks to protect innocent property owners from Arizona’s unconstitutional forfeiture laws
Arizona’s civil asset forfeiture laws lack any real protections for law-abiding citizens and their property. In direct contradiction with the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, which guarantee the right of due…
House Judiciary Committee Revisits Kelo, Decides State of Property Rights Not Good
Ten years ago, the United States Supreme Court effectively scratched the line “for public use” from the Fifth Amendment’s Takings Clause, which allows the government to take and repurpose…
Horne v. Dep’t of Ag: Raisins are Property Too
Ten years after the Supreme Court decided Kelo v. City of New London, almost to the day, the Court, in Horne v. Department of Agriculture, protected property rights in…
Kelo v. New London: How the Supreme Court Gutted Constitutional Protections for Private Property
Ten years ago today, the United States Supreme Court fundamentally changed the meaning and purpose of the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment, which allows for the use of eminent…
Settlement: Another Arrow in the Government’s Civil Asset Forfeiture Quiver
Using civil asset forfeiture, the government often seizes the property of completely innocent individuals. However, despite their innocence, these individuals often settle with the government and forfeit a portion of…
Civil Asset Forfeiture: Grading the States
Civil asset forfeiture is a unique area of law in which the government charges specific property of being guilty of wrongdoing, rather than a person. Perhaps because the property is…
Oklahoma lawmaker comes under fire for trying to protect innocent people’s property
State Sen Kyle Loveless (R-Oklahoma City) recognizes that Oklahoma lacks adequate protections for innocent people whose property is seized by overzealous law enforcement. With the Oklahoma Legislature set to…