It's a small step in the right direction, thanks New Mexico!
Police In New Mexico Will No Longer Seize Your Property Without Finding You Guilty Of A Crime
New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez (R) on Friday signed a bill into law overhauling the state's civil asset forfeiture program, which had previously allowed police to permanently seize property without a conviction or charging the owner with a crime.
Set to go into effect in July, House Bill 560, passed last month with broad bipartisan support in the state legislature and signed by Martinez just before Friday's noon deadline, requires authorities to obtain a conviction or guilty plea before permanently seizing property. It also reforms incentives for civil asset forfeiture, channeling proceeds to the state's general fund rather than directly to police department coffers.
In her signing statement, Martinez said the bill will "improve the transparency and accountability of the forfeiture process and provide further protections to innocent property owners." But she also expressed concerns with the use of the term “policing for profit” -- popularized by critics of civil asset forfeiture -- calling it "an overused, oversimplified, and cynical term that, in my opinion, disrespects our law enforcement officers."
“This is a good day for the Bill of Rights,” said ACLU of New Mexico Executive Director Peter Simonson in a statement. “For years police could seize people’s cash, cars, and houses without even accusing anyone of a crime. Today, we have ended this unfair practice in New Mexico and replaced it with a model that is just and constitutional.”