Audio: Guilty Until Proven Innocent?

In Pennsylvania, civil asset forfeiture laws allow law enforcement agents to legally seize property without convicting an individual of a crime. These laws turn justice on its head, allowing police to presume individuals are guilty until proven innocent.

CF’s Bob Dick sat down with WURD Radio's Stephanie Renée to talk about the abusive nature of civil asset forfeiture.

[Civil asset forfeiture] allows the government to come in and take the property away from someone who may be innocent, or in many cases is innocent…in order for that person to get their property back, they have to go to the government and prove their innocence.

This legalized abuse can be overwhelming for individuals and families with limited financial resources because they are forced to prove their innocence through long, expensive legal battles.

Bob recounts the story of Chris and Markela Sourovelis who had their home seized because their son had been caught with $40 worth of narcotics. The parents committed no crime, but prosecutors determined their house, “an inanimate object”, to be guilty.

Click here or listen below to hear more.

The Mid-Morning MOJO with Stephanie Renée airs Mondays through Thursdays on 900AM-WURD. 

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