The Rio Grande Foundation was part of a coalition that helped convince the entire New Mexico Legislature (unanimously) and Gov. Susana Martinez to adopt the nation’s strongest reforms to laws impacting civil asset forfeiture. We remain pleased to have been such a large part of efforts to protect the property of average New Mexicans.
To expand upon that success the Rio Grande Foundation has joined a diverse array of groups including the Drug Policy Alliance, NAACP, Americans for Prosperity, and FreedomWorks Foundation in signing on to an amicus brief in the case of Timbs v. Indiana.
The brief is linked above but in summary the question is whether the U.S. Constitution prohibits states and local governments from imposing excessive fines, fees, and forfeitures, just as it prohibits the federal government from doing so.
Our friends at the Institute for Justice put together an excellent video below:
