Editing Seward County, Nebraska (section)

===Civil asset forfeiture===

The county engages in extensive [[civil asset forfeiture]]. Having less than 18,000 people, it accounted for at least 90 cases in the last decade, one-third of all civil forfeiture cases in the state during that period and double that of any other Nebraska county. From 2018 to 2023, the county obtained $7.5 million in forfeited cash. Nearly all of the civil forfeitures stem from traffic stops of out-of-state drivers on Interstate 80 where Seward County police give stopped drivers a choice to give up their cash with an "abandonment form" or refuse and be subject to felony charges; the routine seizures never result in convictions of drivers, raising questions about the intent of the forfeitures.<ref name="NPM 2023-06-16">{{Cite news |title=Using loophole, Seward County seizes millions from motorists without convicting them of crimes |last=Alamdari |first=Natalia | date=June 16, 2023|url=https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/news/news-articles/using-loophole-seward-county-seizes-millions-from-motorists-without-convicting-them-of-crimes/ |access-date=2023-06-17 |work=Nebraska Public Media |agency=Flatwater Free Press |language=en}}</ref> This practice continues despite 2016 state law LB 1106, meant to stop it by first requiring a criminal conviction for [[illegal drugs]], [[child pornography]], or [[illegal gambling]], and establishing new reporting requirements and transfer regulations for seizures or forfeitures. However, loopholes in the law still allow seizure during a traffic stop if police believe the cash is connected to drugs, even if no drugs are found in the vehicle, a tactic that is used routinely by Seward County police.{{r|NPM 2023-06-16}}<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ij.org/report/policing-for-profit-3/?state=NE | title=Policing for Profit }}</ref> A bill introduced in February 2024 by Nebraska legislator [[Tom Brewer (politician)|Tom Brewer]], LB 916, intends to ban civil forfeiture in the state entirely, requiring in all cases that prosecutors use the criminal justice process, rather than civil courts, to seize property.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Lawmakers seek to ban practice allowing Seward County to seize millions from motorists|last=Alamdari |first=Natalia | date=February 2, 2024|url=https://flatwaterfreepress.org/lawmakers-seek-to-ban-practice-allowing-seward-county-to-seize-millions-from-motorists/|access-date=2024-10-24|agency=Flatwater Free Press|language=en}}</ref>