The Institute for Justice is a fantastic organization that works to curb government overreach through litigation, activism, and drafting model legislation. They recently took on a case here in Nevada to assist US Marine Corps veteran Stephen Lara in his fight to reclaim his life’s savings - stolen by NV highway patrol in a civil asset forfeiture case.

Civil Asset Forfeiture is an incredibly immoral practice by which police officers can seize cash or property they claim is suspect. Although it is perfectly legal to carry cash, police officers use ‘war on drugs’ logic to argue that large amounts of cash are suspicious - so they can steal it and keep it for their department. Libertarians across the nation argue tirelessly against this predatory policing tactic - but it’s an uphill battle to curb it. You can learn more about Nevada’s civil asset forfeiture laws here on the IJ website.

Mr. Lara was robbed by the police - and our system places the burden on him to prove innocence. Read the full story here.