Article from MLIVE by Emily Lawler.

LANSING, MI — The Michigan House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill tightening the rules for assets seized through civil asset forfeiture.

The chamber approved it 83-26.

Michigan law allows for law enforcement to seize property suspected to have been used for or gotten from drug crimes. The assets are not automatically returned if charges aren’t brought or the defendant is acquitted.

Critics say the provision has been overused to generate profit for police while eliminating due process for people whose assets are seized.

Read the entire article at MLIVE.

Image Credit: By Jamelle Bouie [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons