the.com/forfeiture
The government's way of saying your stuff committed a crime, not you.
means The forced surrender of money, property, or rights, usually as a penalty for breaking a law, breaching a contract, or losing a legal claim.
from From Old French 'forfaiture,' built from 'forfaire' meaning to transgress or do wrong — itself from Latin 'foris' (outside, beyond) plus 'facere' (to do). So at its root, forfeiture means acting outside the bounds — doing something beyond what's allowed — with your property paying the price for the trespass.
- legal theory
- property itself is sued, not the owner
- case naming
- literally titled United States v. $35,000 Cash
- burden flip
- often you must prove innocence, not vice versa
- civil vs criminal
- civil forfeiture needs no conviction at all