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Committee weighs civil asset forfeiture changes and expanded reporting requirements
Summary
Lawmakers and stakeholders debated HB 615, which would alter court process for forfeiture and add thresholds and innocent‑owner protections, and HB 509, a companion transparency bill proposing detailed forfeiture reporting.
Representative Dan McGuire, prime sponsor of HB 615, told the committee the bill restructures RSA 318‑B:17‑B forfeiture procedure to merge criminal adjudication and property forfeiture so defendants have counsel and civil property claims are handled in the same courtroom. "The case against the property is often a separate civil case prosecuted by the attorney general. Most of the time these cases are just decided by default," McGuire said; his bill would link the proceedings and establish minimum value thresholds for currency ($1,000) and vehicles ($5,000) and faster return processes for innocent owners.
McGuire said the changes are intended to reduce defaults, increase fairness for indigent defendants and innocent owners, and create courtroom efficiency. He emphasized the bill would not alter law enforcement’s seizure authority or federal‑state coordination.
Law enforcement…
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