Melissa Quinn / @MelissaQuinn97 / / 6 comments
A 71-year-old woman in Rock Island County, Ill., found herself in the middle of the complex system of civil forfeiture laws as she successfully fought to have her Jeep Compass returned after it was seized by law enforcement for a crime she didn’t commit. Judith Wiese’s car was seized under Illinois civil forfeiture laws after her grandson was arrested for driving with a suspended license. As the city moved to forfeit the car, the 71-year-old challenged the seizure in court and was successful, getting her Jeep back yesterday.
However, experts say her experience highlights issues with the civil forfeiture system, and particularly vehicle seizures that occur when the owner of the property didn’t commit the crime.
“You wind up trapping somebody who had nothing to do with the offense in the forfeiture system and essentially punishing them for conduct which they’re not responsible for,”....
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