Florida Needs Its Own First Step on Justice Reform

Following the enactment of transformative federal criminal justice reform legislation, the First Step Act, Congress and states have the green light to continue — or, in many cases, start —…

71% of Americans Believe Property Shouldn’t Be Taken Without a Conviction

A recent survey conducted by YouGov shows an overwhelming percentage of Americans believe the government should be able to seize cash or property only if the owner is convicted…

No charges filed in more than a third of Oklahoma civil asset forfeiture cases

The presumption of innocence is a basic principle of the American legal system. Americans are presumed innocent of any allegations of illicit activity until proven guilty by the government…

Preserving the Fifth Amendment is the key to civil asset forfeiture reform in Oklahoma

On Tuesday, Oklahoma state Sen. Kyle Loveless (R-Oklahoma City) hosted a panel of national experts to discuss the Sooner State’s civil asset forfeiture laws. State Sen. Loveless invited me to…

Conservatives and progressives come together to protect innocent Oklahomans property rights

The effort to reform Oklahoma’s terrible civil asset forfeiture laws has brought together unlikely bedfellows from the ideologically opposed think tanks. In an op-ed published on Sunday, Terry England, vice…

Michigan police endorse reforms to protect innocent property owners from government overreach

Abuse of civil asset forfeiture laws can harm law enforcement’s vital relationships with communities, especially at a time when their activities are coming under heightened scrutiny. Realizing this, the Michigan…

Here’s why Oklahoma should eliminate the perverse profit motive behind civil asset forfeiture

Oklahoma state Sen. Kyle Loveless (R-Oklahoma City) introduced legislation near the end of the 2015 session hoping that it would begin a conversation about reform of the Sooner State’s terrible…

Civil Asset Forfeiture: This is Pernicious Stuff, and FreedomWorks is Working to Change It

Jason Pye, Director of Justice Reform, represented FreedomWorks at a panel discussion called "Civil Asset Forfeiture: Undue Process and Overdue Reforms" on June 26 at Americans for Tax Reform…

Chuck Grassley takes aim at the federal government’s terrible civil asset forfeiture laws

Carole Hinders is an Iowa restauranteur who, in 2013, made several bank deposits under $10,000. She thought she was doing everyone a favor by keeping her transactions under $10,000, but…