Republican New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez signed a bill Friday that protects police from seizing the private property of citizens. Martinez signed just before the noon deadline that would have pocket vetoed the legislation.
Civil asset forfeiture is a practice where police can seize a private citizen’s property and keep it even if the person is not convict or charged with a crime. He must then go through the laborious and often futile process of trying to reclaim his property — whether it’s a vehicle, cash, or even a home.
The new law makes two important changes:
1. Currently, when police seize property they can keep it even if you are innocent. Under the new law, police can still take property from you for a short period but would need a conviction or a guilty plea in order to keep it.
2. The law changes the incentive structure for police. Under the new law, if police do get a guilty verdict and your property is forfeited, it goes to the state’s general fund rather than the police department’s budget. The difference at least adds a layer of bureaucracy and oversight between police and the funds they seize.
New Mexico’s state legislature passed the bill March 21 just hours before the session closed. If the bill had been vetoed it would likely not gotten attention again for two years because of New Mexico’s short legislative sessions.
This report, by Casey Harper, was cross-posted by arrangement with the Daily Caller News Foundation.
