Civil Forfeiture in Michigan

While the practice of criminal forfeiture is widely accepted as legitimate, civil forfeiture has proven to be far more troublesome as a threat to our freedom. Civil forfeiture occurs outside of the criminal justice system and does not require a conviction of a crime. This has led to instances of abuse in Michigan, which has among the lowest-rated forfeiture laws in the United States. This joint study by the ACLU of Michigan and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy examines the practice of civil forfeiture and why it poses such a threat to our civil liberties.