Wayne County, Michigan, which includes Detroit and its suburbs, received national notoriety a couple years ago for using asset forfeiture to seize a woman’s car after her ex-husband used it to drive to Detroit and solicit a prostitute. Now, they’re threatening to seize a car inherited by a 10-year-old girl from her father because her stepfather allegedly used the car in the process of soliciting a prostitute.
According to the Detroit News, Wayne County police have seized more than 7,000 cars and netted more than $6.3 million since they began using asset forfeiture against people arrested for solicitation.
The little girl’s attorney, Majed Moughini, has filed a lawsuit against the cities of Detroit and Inkster as well as Wayne Country Prosecutor Michael Duggan on behalf of 10 people who have had their cars seized this year in prostitution stings. Of course as in federal forfeiture laws, Wayne County doesn’t actually have to prove in court that a crime occurred in order to seize someone’s car, but instead merely has to prove in civil court that the car was used in the commission of a crime by a preponderance of the evidence.
Source:
Stepdad’s arrest snags girls inherited car. David Shepardson, The Detroit News, September 4, 2001.