Civil forfeiture goes on trial

President Trump may be a supporter of the status quo on the issue of civil forfeiture, but the controversial practice’s future will soon be in the hands of the federal courts.

Last week, Federal District Judge Eduardo Robreno gave the green light to a lawsuit against the city of Philadelphia for violating the due process rights of property owners through its civil forfeiture process. The judge certified as a class (for a class-action lawsuit) all Philadelphians who have had their property confiscated in this way since August 2012.