[Stormieweather]

Funny thing here in Florida...an awful lot of the confiscated cars seem to be be Porsches, Corvettes, Mercedes, Lexus, and Hummers. Or maybe I'm just jaded. A few (very dated) statistics on forfeiture:

Facts about property forfeiture in U.S.

Number of Americans whose property has been seized under property forfeiture laws by federal, state, or local government since 1985: 200,000+
Number of different statutes under which federal agents can seize property: 200+
Dollar value of private property seized by state and federal law enforcement agents under "civil forfeiture" laws: $4.1 billion
Dollar value of private property stolen by criminals in 1992: $3.8 billion
Percentage of asset forfeiture cases where the property owner is never charged with a crime -- yet the government can and usually does keep the property: 80%
Percentage increase, from 1985 to 1991, of the number of federal seizures of property: 1,500%
The race of individuals whose property is seized in airports and on highways, because they fit the police profile of a drug courier: 75-90% Black or Hispanic
In New York, legislators have considered a law letting local officials confiscate "cars, boats, and planes" used in connection with any misdemeanor.
In Georgia, FBI agents seized three Mercedes-Benzes from a businesswoman after alleging that her husband placed illegal bets on sporting events from the car phones.
In Texas and Florida, property forfeiture now applies to any criminal activity.
In New Jersey, it applies to any alleged criminal activity.
In Massachusetts, the state can seize the assets of corporations that violate environmental laws.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service has seized more than 30,000 cars and trucks since 1990 from people helping illegal immigrants enter the U.S.
In New Jersey, officials confiscated home office equipment from a man charged with practicing psychiatry without a license.
In Washington, DC, police routinely stop pedestrians and confiscate small amounts of cash and jewelry, even when no drugs are found and no charges filed.
Examples and statistics from:
Lost Rights by James Bovard, St. Martin's Press (1994)

Forfeiting Our Property Rights by Rep. Henry Hyde, Cato Institute (1995)

I, personally, have nothing to hide but the erosion of our constitutional rights as given in the 5th and 14th amendments is frightening.

Stormie