Editorial: Indiana’s private-for-profit asset forfeiture scheme undermines justice

Policing and prosecuting for profit contradicts reasonable notions of justice and fairness, yet it’s allowed in most U.S. states. Using a process known as civil asset forfeiture, law enforcement agencies seize private property that they claim was somehow involved in a crime. And they may keep it — even if the owner is never criminally charged. This abusive practice has become a key source of funding for some police and sheriff’s departments.

Many of the constitutional rights to which Americans are entitled in criminal proceedings do not apply