Wisconsin State Law Library

Prosecution and Defense of Civil Forfeiture Cases provides detailed coverage of the history and use of forfeiture as an economic crime-fighting tool by law enforcement. Author David B. Smith begins by examining the role of forfeiture in the United States, with an emphasis on legislation and case law since the 1970's.

Smith provides a hypothetical walk-through of a typical civil forfeiture case, including commencement of proceedings, pretrial proceedings, trial, and defenses. The nature and scope of criminal forfeiture is addressed in the second volume of this 2 volume looseleaf set. Some chapters include sample forms. While there is an emphasis on federal statutes and case law, state law is also included with special attention to New York, Florida and Texas statutes. A detailed index, table of cases, and table of statutes serve as finding tools.