“Under civil asset forfeiture, police can seize money or property upon ‘probable cause’ that it was connected to a crime. The onus then falls on the owner to prove innocence. Police departments use the proceeds to help fund their budgets. ‘Probable cause’ can include the mere fact of carrying a large amount of cash, or a police dog’s sniff of drug residue on your property. One may have a legitimate reason for carrying the cash, and the residue may have been left over from the previous owner. It doesn’t matter. The police can seize your property to enrich their departments, and it’s often too risky and expensive for you to fight for its return. Civil asset forfeiture breeds corruption. It’s immoral and unconstitutional. But instead of abolishing it, the U.S. is exporting it.” (05/21/09)