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Home / Indiana: AG Looks to Change Forfeiture DistributionIndiana: AG Looks to Change Forfeiture Distribution
Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 November 2010 02:54 Written by rslcpol Tuesday, 30 November 2010 02:50
Attorney General Greg Zoeller is looking at changing how money from the sale of seized items from criminals is distributed. He wants to divide it up between police, prosecutors, and schools.
From nwi.com:
Zoeller is representing the prosecutors in the lawsuit. Zoeller on Monday said he also will work outside the courtroom and ask the legislature to enact a formula dividing forfeiture revenues among police, prosecutors and schools.
“There needs to be clarity of intent from the Indiana General Assembly as to whether assets seized and forfeited from criminal defendants should be directed to law enforcement to fund drug interdiction and enforcement efforts, or to the Common School Fund,” Zoeller said. “The place to have that debate is in the legislative branch, which has the ability to change the statute — not in court, through a lawsuit.”
State Rep. Linda Lawson, D-Hammond, the assistant House Democratic leader, said she expects a significant battle for the money in the legislature.
“The fairest thing would be for all parties involved to share it, but you’re going have everybody wanting as much money as they can get their hands on, just for operating expenses, just to keep the lights on,” said Lawson, a former Hammond police captain.