Forfeiture and Asset Seizure Grants Pass
Another tool that law enforcement has at their disposal is to take your money or property if it is the “proceeds of criminal activity.” Most frequently the police seize money that is related to drugs. The police are trained to be very aggressive with taking your money. Law enforcement officers frequently abuse this tool and end up taking people’s money that is not the proceeds of drugs or unlawful activity. Take a moment to watch this video titled “Policing for Profit.”
You can fight back against this. Even if law enforcement seizure of your property was legitimate, you should fight back. There are many technical steps that the police have to follow to lawfully seize your property and if they did not follow these rules properly then your lawyer may be able to get your property returned to you. Even if they did seize it lawfully, you are entitled to a jury trial where a jury of your peers will get to decide if you should get your money back or not.
Be careful however. Typically when the police seize your property you only have 21 days to respond and make a claim on the money or you will lose it entirely.