SB 443

Sen. Holly J. Mitchell Statement on the Assembly Vote on SB 443 Civil Asset Forfeiture

I am deeply disappointed that my bill to protect private property rights and the presumption that individuals are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law was defeated on the Assembly floor Thursday following heavy lobbying by law enforcement on a 24/41 vote. SB 443 called on officers of the law to obtain a criminal conviction before a suspect’s personal property, impounded during investigation of a crime, is permanently forfeited in a process called “civil asset forfeiture.” Thanks to a current legal loophole, a California law enforcement agency aiding a federal investigation in the seizure of a suspect’s assets