Gov. Kasich signs civil asset forfeiture reform bill

SANDUSKY — Gov. John Kasich has signed a new civil asset forfeiture bill that makes it more difficult for prosecutors and police to seize the property of people who haven't been convicted of a crime or even charged with one.The governor's office announced the signing of House Bill 347 as part of the signing of a batch of a batch of 28 bills.The governor didn't issue a statement in connection with the signing. Libertarians and property rights advocates are pleased, but Ohio's prosecutors had hoped Kasich would veto the bill.Key provisions of the new law:• Civil asset forfeitures are banned for property of less than $15,000.• They are permitted for property of more than $15,000, but the burden of proof is raised to "clear and convincing evidence" that the property is connect to a crime.• Criminal asset forfeitures are still allowed, for example, for seizing money from drug dealers.• Federal law for asset seizure can't be invoked unless the property is worth more than $100,000. Civil libertarians say that's important because it keeps state officials from easily getting around a more strict state law.Erie County Prosecutor Kevin Baxter had hoped the governor would veto the bill but said Thursday he's not surprised Kasich signed it instead.He said he'll study the bill and figure out how to continue carrying out property seizures when circumstances warrant. As the bill advanced, lawmakers did allow some exceptions to please the Buckeye State Sheriffs' Association and the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, Baxter said.FreedomWorks, a libertarian/conservative group founded by the Koch brothers, said Kasich's decision to sign the bill is a victory for innocent property holders in Ohio."There is no better way to begin a new year. Getting this bill signed into law was a long and intensive grassroots effort that involved the work of thousands of activists across the state of Ohio. FreedomWorks engaged in every aspect of HB 347, from speaking in support of the effort at the press conference in which state Reps. McColley and Brinkman introduced the bill to committee testimony to driving nearly 60,000 messages to state senators. We also worked alongside our partners, the U.S. Justice Action Network and Buckeye Institute to bring this effort to fruition," said FreedomWorks CEO Adam Brandon.