Supreme Court Contemplates Police Seizing Property: A Fine Line Between Justice and Theft

The Supreme Court is set to hear a case on whether the Constitution requires a prompt hearing after law enforcement seizes vehicles for civil forfeiture. Civil forfeiture allows the government to seize property connected to a crime, treating the property as the "defendant" and bypassing due process. The state of Alabama argues that prompt hearings would be unworkable as police need time to investigate after seizing cars, but critics argue that police should investigate before seizing property. The article suggests that property cannot logically be a defendant as it cannot commit a crime, and proposes four conditions for civil forfeiture to be allowed.