Lawmakers push for bill to end civil forfeiture

(WTVM) – In Alabama, lawmakers are considering whether to do away with how police seize hundreds-of-thousands of dollars without a criminal conviction.

The bill would rewrite the standards on the practice of civil forfeiture, which allows law enforcement to take and keep any asset if they can convince it is connected to a drug crime.

"The idea that, again, without a criminal conviction, that we can just take, the government can take people's property with no or limited accountability in a civil forfeiture action, is something that needs to be revisited," 

The new bill would increase the legal standard needed to keep goods seized.

The bill would also require receipts of the goods seized to be given to owners in an effort to increase accountability.