Legal Features

The government can seize your cash, car, home or other property without ever convicting you of a crime. And even if you successfully fight to get it back, you could be left with thousands of dollars in legal bills. In Ross v. United States, The Rutherford Institute is challenging a system that can leave innocent property owners financially devastated while allowing the government to walk away without paying for its mistakes. Our latest legal feature examines the troubling practice of civil asset forfeiture, the financial incentives that encourage government overreach, and why constitutional rights mean little if you can't afford to defend them.

A modern smartphone can contain years of private communications, financial records, medical information, location histories and other sensitive data. In Anibowei v. Blanche, the Supreme Court is being asked to consider how the traditional border-search exception applies to Americans’ digital devices during international travel.