LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union is calling for civil forfeiture reforms in Nebraska to protect innocent people who have had their money or property seized.
A 16-page report from the ACLU requests that Nebraska pass a reform that only allows civil forfeitures if the property owner has been convicted of a crime.
The Lincoln Journal Star reports (http://bit.ly/1jz5ujF ) the ACLU says it's seeing more cases in which people who aren't charged or do not have a criminal past are having their property taken.
Nebraska is the fifth-largest recipient of federal funds coming from civil forfeiture. The state received about $16.1 million between 2010 and 2014.
The ACLU's report also suggests that all money forfeited be put into the state's general fund or earmarked for education.
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Information from: Lincoln Journal Star, http://www.journalstar.com
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