link-the governor of Hawaii (D-HI)
RELATING TO PROPERTY FORFEITURE.
This bill would prohibit civil asset forfeiture unless there is a felony conviction of the owner of the property. The bill also would also change the distribution of forfeiture proceeds from the state and local law enforcement agencies to the state general fund.
Rationale<for the veto>: Civil asset forfeiture is an effective and critical law enforcement tool that prevents the economic benefits of committing a crime from outweighing consequential criminal penalties and punishment. This measure would also abolish civil asset forfeiture related to serious misdemeanor and petty misdemeanor crimes that negatively impact our society, natural resources, and environment. Furthermore, safeguards presently exist in Hawaii’s asset forfeiture statutes that prevent the abuses cited in the bill.
meanwhile, they lost $2mil of it last yearHawaii’s asset forfeiture law has long been criticized for what seems to some like a patently unjust policy: it allows government officials to seize and destroy or sell private property without a court proceeding – or, in some cases, even without even charging anyone with a crime.
On Thursday, the Hawaii State Auditor issued a report that raises even more concerns about the controversial program.
According to the audit, the Office of the Attorney General, which administers the program, has failed to account for property obtained by forfeiture, inadequately managed program funds and failed to allocate some $2 million for drug prevention as required by law.
