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Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller announced late Tuesday that he would act as legal counsel for a group of county prosecutors who have been named in a civil law suit filed through Marion Superior Court.

The suit, filed by Indianapolis law firm Roberts & Bishop, deals with the filing of civil forfeiture suits against the property of drug offenders or other criminals. Under Indiana law, prosecutors can seek to seize the proceeds of crime, and use those proceeds to fund law enforcement efforts.

Prosecutors in 78 of Indiana’s 92 counties — including Putnam County Prosecutor Tim Bookwalter — are named as defendants in the case, which calls into question their handling of the proceeds in civil forfeiture cases. The suit alleges that the prosecutors have violated state statute that says any money left over in forfeiture cases after the enforcement fees associated with the case have been paid is to be turned over to Indiana’s Common School Fund.

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