What happens to seized money?

[Biggirl]

I’m watching Crimes and Trials on The History Channel and they were talking about the Pizza Heroin connection. The prosecution seized hundreds of thousands of dollars which was displayed for TV in little plastic baggies.

What happens to the money after the trial is over? Put it in storage for ever and ever? Destroy it like they do the drugs (certianly not!). Give it to charity? Does the city or state or federal government get it?

[Whack-a-Mole]

Below is some info on what happens in Missouri…I assume (but can’t say for certain) that other states handle it similarly.

A class-action lawsuit has been filed in Jackson County on behalf of hundreds of people whose money or property may have been taken illegally by police in drug cases.

<snip>

For years police in Missouri have worked with the federal government to keep forfeited funds. If the money were forfeited under state law, it would usually go to fund public education instead of back to police departments.

<snip>

As a result, McMullin said, the effect of the lawsuit may be felt across the state.

“The potential here is huge,” he said.

U.S. Department of Justice statistics show that over five years, it has returned more than $31 million to law enforcement in Missouri.

<snip>

The Kansas City Star, however, has found numerous cases in which troopers have handed off seizures totaling millions of dollars to federal agencies without a transfer order from a state court.

SOURCE: http://www.kcstar.com/item/pages/home.pat,local/377515f9.126,.html

[Ringo]

Read all about civil asset forfeiture. That site does have an opinion.