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New bills would change how Michigan cops seize property

The new session of the Republican-controlled Legislature began on a bipartisan footing Wednesday with the Democratic attorney general and lawmakers from both parties uniting behind a package of bills to reform civil asset forfeiture. The fact that police can sometimes seize property without charging — let alone a judge registering a conviction against — the person whose property is seized has long been a controversial issue in Michigan.The first bills introduced in the session that began Wednesday, House Bills 4001 and 4002, would require a criminal conviction before property with a value of less than $50,000 can be permanently seized through civil forfeiture. Laws would also be tightened for forfeiture of more valuable property.“Civil asset forfeiture reform will be our first bill because it is a strong, bipartisan reform that safeguards the rights of every single Michigan resident,” said newly elected House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering.

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Detroit Free Press