Senator Holly Mitchell introduces groundbreaking legislation:

After reviewing countless stories of innocent people who have had their legal property seized by law enforcement, I introduced Senate Bill 443. SB 443 mandates that a person be convicted of a crime before their property can be permanently forfeited. While California attempted to reform civil asset forfeiture in the 90’s, local law enforcement began partnering with federal law enforcement officials in a system called “equitable sharing,” to take advantage of the lax evidentiary laws at the federal level. This has proven a profitable way for California law enforcement to circumvent our state law. This has resulted in payouts to state and local agencies that have increased nearly 250% over a 12-year period. By 2014 federal records showed that more property was permanently taken from owners by civil asset forfeiture than by burglary. In California, between 2000 and 2013 696 million dollars worth of private assets were forfeited to law enforcement by this means.

That's what I'mn talkin' about!

We must pass this critical reform to protect Californians from the unethical practice of seizing property from innocent people. And law makers must be reminded that their most pressing responsibility is protecting the constituencies that elected them into office, not the special interests that directly profit on the backs of innocent citizens.

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