It’s been a nice few weeks for civil liberties in Montana. On the heels of the nation’s most comprehensive restrictions on police militarization, Montana Governor Steve Bullock (D) has signed a bill reforming civil asset forfeiture in the state.
HB463 requires a criminal conviction before seized property can be forfeited, requires that seized property be shown by “clear and convincing evidence” to be connected to the criminal activity, and bolsters the defenses for innocent owners by shifting the burden of proof to the government.
The effort was spearheaded by State Representative Kelly McCarthy (D), who credited the work of the Institute for Justice and other civil liberties organizations for bringing the abuses of civil asset forfeiture to light.
Read more at http://www.cato.org/blog/montana-reins-civil-asset-forfeiture
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