Oklahoma Analyzing Police Seizures

The forfeiture laws are loose in Oklahoma. Law enforcement can seize property or money they believe was used in a crime — even if they don’t charge anyone

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By Kate C. Greer

NPR

In Oklahoma, some people in charge of enforcing the law seem to be skirting it. State audits have found people in district attorney offices have used seized money and property to live rent-free and pay off student loans.

When state Sen. Kyle Loveless first heard about the audits, he’d already been thinking about amending the civil asset forfeiture laws — mainly because the state doesn’t always follow the law.

“We’ve seen in Oklahoma — through county commissioner scandals, Supreme Court justice scandals — if we let people go without any checks and balances in place, bad things happen,” Loveless says.

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