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Civil rights attorney: Using seized funds for prisoner study a legal gray area
Profits from seized property are paying for the latest update to a study of Arizona’s prison population that prosecutors use to argue Arizona’s sentencing laws are working appropriately.
Wary of abuse, lawmakers move to tighten civil forfeiture laws
A wide-ranging measure to reform the state’s civil asset forfeiture laws would scrap the current standard that requires prosecutors to prove only by a “preponderance of the evidence” that the property is linked to a crime. That standard essentially means it is more likely than not, akin to a 51-49 percent balance.
Profits of Policing: Arizona asset seizures net $200M in past five years
State laws allowed Arizona law enforcement agencies to seize nearly $200 million in personal property during the past five years – almost all of it cash – from people who may never be charged or convicted of a crime.
Good intentions do not give government a license to silence speech
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Reed v. Town of Gilbert, handed down just last week, was a unanimous victory for free speech. But that Reed was an overwhelming win has led some to downplay its importance.
U.S. Senators look at ‘perverse incentive’ of asset forfeitures for police agencies
A Senate panel said Wednesday that while civil asset forfeitures can be a valuable tool for compensating victims and funding police work, there are too many loopholes that can allow abuses.
Groups no longer required to disclose money sources to Secretary of State’s Office
A federal judge late Friday voided state laws requiring groups to register before spending money on campaigns - and with it, the reports they're supposed to file on who is behind all that cash.
‘Dark money’ may get darker if judge strikes down AZ disclosure laws
A federal judge is being asked to rule that “dark money” groups that now don’t disclose the source of their contributions can also legally hide how they’re spending the money – and on whose behalf.
Providers of animal massage in legal battle with state veterinary board
According to state statute, any person who diagnoses or treats animals for a fee must have a veterinary license. Treating an animal without a license is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and fines up to $2,500.
Ruling: Arizona school voucher program is constitutional
A new court ruling says Arizona's school voucher program for students with disabilities is constitutional.
Eyebrow threaders sue Board of Cosmetology
The Institute for Justice has filed a lawsuit against the Arizona State Board of Cosmetology over its crackdown on a hair removal practice known as threading.
Protecting the freedom to speak (and to annoy politicians)
The U.S. and Arizona constitutions are meant to limit government power, but these limits are meaningless unless judges enforce them.
Proponents say successor to school voucher plan will withstand lawsuits
Teachers unions and advocacy groups that sunk Arizona’s private school voucher system two years ago haven’t made any moves to strike down its successor, even though they say it is blatantly unconstitutional.
But school choice advocates say they followed the instruction of an Arizona Supreme Court justice and the previous program’s critics in crafting the new system, which will all[...]
