AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s (TPPF) Center for Effective Justice Policy Analyst Derek Cohen will testify before the Texas Senate Criminal Justice Committee TODAY, Tuesday, March 17, at 1:30 p.m. CDT or upon adjournment in room E1.016 of the Texas State Capitol. Mr. Cohen will testify on Senate Bill 95, which relates to the state’s burden of proof in certain criminal asset forfeiture proceedings.
“Criminal forfeiture is a useful tool in law enforcement, depriving criminals of their ill-gotten gains and their tools of their trade,” said Cohen. “Further, the current distribution scheme allows law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices—those who are tasked with combatting crime—to redeploy these assets against criminals. Unfortunately, in rem civil proceedings allow injudicious use of forfeiture powers leading to dubious seizures, purchasing outside the appropriations process, and little to no transparency. Senate Bill 95 would raise the threshold the state must meet to keep seized property, and represents an excellent first step in securing public safety and the property rights of innocent individuals.”
| WHO: | Derek Cohen, Policy Analyst, Center for Effective Justice, TPPF |
| WHAT: | Testimony before the Texas Senate Criminal Justice Committee |
| WHEN: |
TODAY, Tuesday, March 17, 2015 1:30 p.m. CDT or upon adjournment |
| WHERE: | Texas State Capitol, Room E1.016 |
More information about the hearing can be found at: http://txpo.li/1GeOd4h
To schedule an interview with Mr. Cohen, please contact Caroline Espinosa at [email protected] or 512-472-2700.
Derek M. Cohen is a policy analyst in the Center for Effective Justice at the Texas Public Policy Foundation and the Right on Crime campaign.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit, free-market research institute based in Austin, Texas.