Laws governing civil asset forfeiture allow police to seize cash if they believe it is proceeds of criminal activity or intended to be used for criminal activity. If the government proves it is more likely than not related to criminal activity, it gets to keep the cash—unless an innocent owner claims the money. An “innocent owner” is someone who has a valid legal claim to seized cash who can show that he or she was not involved in any criminal activity related to the cash and had no knowledge of the criminal activity associated with the property.