Private property rights, due process and the concept of innocent until proven guilty are bedrock principles enshrined in America’s founding and in its legal system. This week, Gov. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., signed a law that will fortify those principles.

It will curtail civil asset forfeiture, which has allowed police to seize and keep property they claim to believe has been involved in the commission of a crime, even when no one is convicted and no charges are even filed.