Cops Seize $171 During Arrest, Court Wants $175 To Get It Back

‘What does it mean for the future of the Fourth Amendment when it costs $175 in court fees to get back $171 that was seized during an arrest? This is the unusual scenario that Hudson County resident Jermaine Mitchell found himself facing following an April drug arrest in Jersey City, and is one reason why the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ) has thrown down the legal gauntlet regarding the county’s civil asset forfeiture practices.
On Thursday, the ACLU-NJ filed an appeal in New Jersey Appellate Court on Mitchell’s behalf, arguing that the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office unlawfully combines unrelated civil asset forfeiture cases together, resulting in court fees that often exceed the value of the property taken.’
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