LANSING – Police and prosecutors would be prohibited from seizing cash and property from people accused of a crime until they are convicted on the charges under a bill passed in the state Senate on Wednesday.

The bill — SB 2 — is a retread from the last legislative session when then-state Rep. Peter Lucido's similar bill passed the House but never got a vote in the Senate.

Law enforcement objected to the bill during committee hearings last year.

Now Lucido, R-Shelby Township, is a senator and his civil asset forfeiture bill was the first bill to be voted on in the Senate chamber.

"We have rights in this society, the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty and the right to be safe with our property and not have people take it," Lucido said. “The current process has been abused for too long and hurt too many. It only makes sense that we make this change to protect the due process rights of innocent property owners."

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According to a Senate Fiscal Agency analysis of the bill, $13.1 million in cash and property was taken by law enforcement agencies in 2017. Of the 6,662 forfeiture cases, 2,368 involved cases with criminal convictions, 2,876 were cases where charges have been filed, but the cases are still in court, and 1,418 were forfeitures in cases with no conviction.

The bill also would require a prosecutor or attorney general to review and approve seizures of property, and allow a person to either file a form relinquishing the property or file a claim against the forfeiture of property.

The bill now moves to the state House of Representatives. When the matter was voted on last year in the House, it passed on an 83-26 vote.

Contact Kathleen Gray: 313-223-4430, kgray99@freepress.com or on Twitter @michpoligal.