On Thursday, the Alabama House passed Senate Bill 191 that would increase transparency around civil asset forfeiture in the state. It now moves to Gov. Kay Ivey’s desk for approval. “SB 191’s passage is a good first step toward bringing more transparency to Alabama’s civil asset forfeiture practices,” said Robyn Hyden, executive director of Alabama … Continued
Innocent until proven guilty is heralded as a rightful standard in the United States criminal justice system, but when it comes to civil asset forfeiture, the standard seemingly flips to the opposite. Under Alabama’s civil asset forfeiture policies, police are able to seize personal property from citizens without a criminal charge or conviction if they … Continued
The Alabama District Attorneys Association is taking steps to create a reporting system to keep track of the use of civil asset forfeiture in Alabama. The ADAA, Rep. Arnold Mooney, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and other public policy groups announced the creation of the Alabama Forfeiture Accountability System. The new database system will track … Continued
Advocacy group Alabama Appleseed has chosen a new executive director. The group, which has opposed civil asset forfeiture, high court fees and fines, and pushed for new payday loan regulations, announced Monday that its board of directors has chosen Carla Crowder, a former Equal Justice Initiative attorney and Birmingham News reporter, as the organization’s new … Continued