Panel Discussion on Asset Forfeiture in Columbia Tonight

I will be on the panel of Schools Not Guns tonight at the Blue Note in Columbia, at 6 p.m. Other panelists include Missouri Rep. Chris Kelly, Jackson County Republican Committeeman Marcus Bowen, and attorney Dan Viets. We will be discussing the use (and abuse) of asset forfeiture in Missouri.

The name of the panel is derived from the fact that the proceeds from property forfeited under state law is put into a fund for schools, but this law can be skirted by using federal forfeiture law, which allows 80 percent of the proceeds from forfeited property to be given back to the law enforcement agency that initiates the forfeiture. The event is open to the public, so if you are in the area come on down to hear about one of the more egregious ways the government can violate your property rights. You can RSVP on Facebook here.