Civil forfeiture allows government to seize and sell property suspected of involvement in a crime.
It has been increasingly used in connection with drug law enforcement. In civil forfeiture, the government sues the property, and it is the owner's burden to prove the property was either not used illegally or was used without his knowledge. By law, the money raised from such forfeitures goes directly to police agencies. Thus police are encouraged to consider the revenue effects of drug law enforcement, rather than the consequences to social welfare of attacking various kinds of crimes. Since the legal rights of the owners are less than in a criminal proceeding, it is easier to seize property than successfully prosecute a criminal.