South Fulton council hears concerns about civil asset forfeiture backlog and options for local limits

Mayor Khalid opened a council work session on May 27 by asking about a spreadsheet he said showed hundreds of asset forfeiture cases tied to the city. The city’s discussion — which included a representative from the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, the South Fulton police chief, and civil forfeiture reform advocates — centered on how many seized-property cases are pending, how the county handles notices and petitions, and whether the city should adopt its own policy to stay seizures until conviction.

City context and why it matters: Civil asset forfeiture lets law enforcement and prosecutors seek to keep property they say is tied to crime. Reformers say the practice can strip property from people who have not been convicted; law enforcement says the tool helps disrupt criminal operations. The debate in South Fulton focused on transparent reporting, whether seized-but-not-forfeited property is tracked publicly, and whether the city should adopt stricter rules than state law.

Grant Rood, a forfeiture lawyer with the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, told council members how the county handles seized property and notices.…