Abstract
Forfeitures, particularly civil forfeitures, have become a powerful tool for the Department of Justice, as well as for local law enforcement agencies. The ability to seize assets from suspected criminals, without having to prove their guilt, has proven irresistible, particularly because the seizing agency usually gets to keep the seized assets for its own use. This article begins with a description of what civil forfeitures are and how forfeiture procedure has, in some instances, led to abuse and overreach by law enforcement.