National Non-Profit Joins Michigan Battle over Property Forfeiture Reform

LANCASTER, PA (WHTC) – A national non-profit group has joined the effort to pass property forfeiture reform legislation in Lansing. Fix Forfeiture officials say that they will focus on bills before lawmakers in Ohio and Pennsylvania as well as Michigan. What cleared the House earlier this month would set a higher evidence standard for forfeiture proceedings and would require police agencies to report more statistics about the items that they seize. Law enforcement agencies are taking a dim view on this reform, saying that abuses are not as widespread as proponents appear, and claim that property seized in drug busts are helping to fund more crimefighting efforts. The Senate is now considering this reform package.