Forfeiture Endangers American Rights

Victim support

FEAR's victim support committee was set up to supply forfeiture victims the basic information and emotional support they need to survive their forfeiture case, and to perservere long enough to succeed. Victims who write or e-mail our victim support committee will get a personal response from a forfeiture survivor, who has been there. Our victim survivor volunteers are there to give moral support and advice on how to cope with the process. They can't answer legal questions, but they will refer victims' legal questions to lawyers who volunteer to answer a few questions for free (if there are any available). We need more lawyer volunteers willing to answer questions by e-mail. If you are an experienced forfeiture lawyer willing to volunteer to answer a few questions from desperate victimes from time to time, please e-mail us.

[Revised 9/17/2005 by Brenda Grantland]

Victim Support Materials:

Victim Self-Help Materials - This page has several links that may help you if you are subject to a property seizure or have other problems with "the authorities".
"What To Do When Your Property Has Been Seized By Police" This FEAR pamphlet is easy to understand and up to date. Please print out a hard copy of the PDF version and give it to other people who need this information.)
Federal forfeiture statutes
Overview of Asset Forfeiture Law and Procedure - this law review article is out of date, but it will give you an overall view of the law and procedures peculiar to forfeiture.
In the Brief Bank (by subscription only) is an updated review of federal asset forfeiture law and procedure, by Washington, D.C. attorney Elena Broder
We have some of the state forfeiture statutes -- please help us build this collection
The site, PoorPower, seems to offer help for those victims of wrongful foreclosure and eviction. Their motto: "Justice, equity, and equal access in property rights matters."

How can I find a lawyer experienced in forfeiture law? The FEAR Attorney Directory is one way to comparison shop for forfeiture lawyers. Unfortunately, we don't have very many attorneys listed here yet, but we're working on it. Please tell your forfeiture lawyer to apply for our attorney directory. It's inexpensive ($100 a year) and we'll waive the fees in exchange for volunteer work for FEAR.

Where can I turn if I can't afford to hire an attorney? We are actively seeking volunteer attorneys and nonprofit organizations to handle pro bono cases. Attorneys or organizations willing to help should contact volunteers@fear.org. We do have a few volunteer attorneys, but of course the supply falls far short of the demand. In order to keep them from being swamped with requests, we won't give out their names, but we will pass on requests for legal assistance to them. Because of our scant resources, we probably won't be able to find a lawyer willing to take your case pro bono, but it's more likely we'll be able to find a lawyer to give you free advice as you represent yourself, or someone to mentor your local lawyer if they need an experienced forfeiture attorney to advise them. If you need legal assistance, contact our victim support committee and they'll forward your request to the appropriate channels.

A website described as "Forfeiture Statutes for Ex Parte Attachment by Prosecutor/Government of Criminal Defendant's Assets Used in Criminal Enterprise; Litigation Techniques for Opposing Attachment and Obtaining Return of Attached Real Estate, Bank Accounts and Other Property; Focussing on Prosecutorial Abuse and Misconduct" is now on line at "Forfeiture Statutes for Ex Parte Attachment . . ." thanks to Carl E. Person (5/22/02)

Sunni's Page - Sunni used to be FEAR's victim coordinator, the position which is now being filled by Rose Hanson - another forfeiture survivor. A forfeiture survivor herself, Sunni had some excellent advice on how to cope with a pending forfeiture case and still have a life. Here are some earlier writings from Sunni:

Afraid: Sunni's Forfeiture Victim Story FEAR-List Bulletin, 03/10/95, by Suzanne ("Sunni") Liston
A Victim Thanks FEAR for Its Work On Double Jeopardy, FEAR-List Bulletin, 6/1/95, by Sunni Liston

Kathy Bergman's advice to forfeiture victims - Kathy is a forfeiture survivor, and a former FEAR Board member.

Perserverance Pays Off! FEAR-List Bulletin, 6/3/95, by Kathy Bergman (forfeiture victim wins back money from state franchise tax board)

Please fill out our victim questionnaire (save before opening) so we can keep track of trends in forfeiture cases and locate potential victim spokespersons to talk to the news media. The information you give here is kept confidential, for the use of FEAR officers only. You can indicate on the form whether or not you want publicity for your case and/or you are willing to speak to the news media, and we won't give your name out unless and until you tell us to.