“With his signature of HB 347, Kasich closes the loop on a reform effort well over a year in the making, as Ohio becomes the latest to significantly restrain the ability of law enforcement to take and keep private property without a criminal conviction.

“Going forward, most forfeiture cases in the state—those where the property in question is valued less than $15,000; less than $100,000 in equitable sharing arrangements—will require a conviction in an underlying criminal case before the forfeiture may be effected. In all other cases, HB 347 requires that government prove with “clear and convincing” evidence that the property was involved in, or a proceed of, criminal activity before it can be forfeited.

“From the beginning, Right on Crime was integrally involved in this key reform. Deputy Director Derek Cohen provided invited testimony before the state legislature in late 2015 on asset forfeiture practices, both in Ohio and nationwide.”