Remember civil forfeiture? Here’s another story where it appears to have been invoked on questionable grounds. As the case moves forward, it will be interesting to see if there really is anything suspicious or illicit happening at the grocery store.

“With this vocation, it seems, comes a nearly bottomless capacity for self-examination. Feinberg has written books and delivered commencement speeches on the principles of victim compensation, on the value of a life. He has a singular perspective on how our society chooses—or declines—to take care of its own. And it has left him troubled.“

Talk about possessing a particular set of skills. Jim Oliphant profiles Ken Feinberg, a man with a unique career to say the least.

“In general, you needn’t be found guilty to have your assets claimed by law enforcement; in some states, suspicion on a par with “probable cause” is sufficient. Nor must you be charged with a crime, or even be accused of one. Unlike criminal forfeiture, which requires that a person be convicted of an offense before his or her property is confiscated, civil forfeiture amounts to a lawsuit filed directly against a possession, regardless of its owner’s guilt or innocence.“

Eye opening article by Sarah Stillman for The New Yorker about the abusive convenient use of civil forfeiture by law enforcement around the country. Scary.

Could partially explain this recent story of Nebraska seizing over a million during a traffic stop, on the assumption it was drug money.