Institute for Justice (IJ) – Class Action Challenges FBI’s “Take Now, Explain Never” Forfeitures
Linda Martin thought she found a safe place to store cash she and her husband Reggie were setting aside to purchase a home. That place was a safe deposit box company in upscale Beverly Hills that had been around for years and sported state-of-the-art security measures. But now her home savings are in the hands of the FBI and she may never see it again, even though she did nothing wrong.
Case Name
- Martin v. Federal Bureau of Investigation, et al.
- Location: Washington, D.C.
- Date Filed: March 7, 2023
Case Details
- Case Status: Pending Cases
- Pillar: Civil Forfeiture
- Pillar: Private Property
17 JUNE 2023 US Govt. SUED For Seizing Cash & Gold Without Explanation! | SalivateMetal
The Constitution requires the government to tell people the specific legal and factual reasons why it is taking their property so that people can defend their rights. And it requires that procedures be clear so that people like Linda aren’t tricked into surrendering their rights.
A federal judge has already found in another IJ case on behalf of US Private Vaults customers that the “anemic” forfeiture notices the FBI sends to forfeiture victims violate the due process guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution’s Fifth Amendment. That’s why Linda has teamed up with the Institute for Justice to file a nationwide class-action lawsuit challenging the FBI’s forfeiture notices. Requiring the government to explain why it is forfeiting someone’s property is critical to preventing wrongful seizures and attempted forfeitures.
