Jacob Sullum’s recent column called civil asset forfeiture exactly what it is: “a system of legalized larceny that allows law enforcement agencies to pad their budgets by confiscating allegedly crime-tainted property without charging, let alone convicting, the owner.”
The column focuses on federal issues, which could, in some ways, be alleviated by the FAIR Act. But the “Kafkaesque situation” created by civil forfeiture, as Sullum puts it, also causes severe harm in our own backyards.
In 2021, the police seized a total of 1,694 assets valued at over $8 million from Chicagoans. Unfortunately, those millions of dollars are not typically extracted from the wealthy but from some of Chicago’s poorest neighborhoods instead.
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From March to August 2022, volunteers from Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts and the Chicago Council of Lawyers observed 230 civil asset forfeiture hearings in the Circuit Court of Cook County. Our court-watchers raised several red flags concerning issues for innocent property owners, the lack of support for self-represented litigants, obvious procedural inefficiency and more.
What became immediately clear to our volunteers was the state is seizing property primarily from Chicago’s most vulnerable individuals and families. In over 90% of cases where the seized property was identified, it was a vehicle with the median value of $7,050. The most common reasons for civil asset seizure were for non-violent allegations, such as drug possession or driving without a license.
In most cases, 67%, property owners didn’t have attorneys to help them navigate the civil courts or defend themselves and their property rights.
It’s pretty obvious that civil asset forfeiture is an unethical, flawed system that violates due process and harms our already marginalized neighbors. It’s time to end it.
Stephanie Agnew, director of communications
Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts
Finding catalytic converter thieves
I read Stephanie Zimmermann’s excellent article on catalytic converter thefts, which showed the large amount of money converter thieves can make.
Being a critical thinker and a retired Chicago police officer, I often wondered where young stunt drivers and drag racers obtain the $70,000 (or more) to purchase the high-performance cars they use in street takeovers. Maybe there’s a connection between the two crimes.
Michael C. Flynn, retired lieutenant, Chicago Police Department
Norwood Park
Are Bears returning to their non-Chicago roots?
First, it was Arlington Park, 25 miles from the intersection of State and Madison. Next was Naperville, 31 miles away. Now it is Waukegan, 37 miles from the “zero” street intersection of Chicago.
The Bears are not very subtle in their attempts to get as far away from the city as possible. Knowing how much the McCaskey family clings to history, maybe a historic return to Decatur is what they are searching for.
Don Anderson, Oak Park
