Asset Forfeiture: Protecting Your Property Rights in California

Understanding Asset Forfeiture – It’s More Than Just Seizure

At Rucci Law, we understand the immense stress and frustration associated with asset forfeiture. It’s a process that can seem overwhelming, particularly when it involves your savings, investments, or even your home. Often, asset forfeiture is a byproduct of criminal charges – whether related to drug trafficking, fraud, or other offenses. However, the government can seize assets even without a criminal conviction, under specific circumstances. We’re dedicated to ensuring your constitutional rights are rigorously protected throughout this often-misunderstood process.

How Asset Forfeiture Works – And Where the Risks Lie

The government seeks to take property believed to be connected to criminal activity. This can happen through several avenues:

• Civil Forfeiture: This allows the government to seize property without a criminal conviction, based on probable cause.
• Criminal Forfeiture: Connected to a criminal charge, assets are seized as part of the sentence.
• Equitable Forfeiture: Used in specific drug cases, targeting profits derived from illegal activity.

Crucially, the burden of proof rests with the government. They must demonstrate a strong connection between the asset and the alleged crime. However, they often rely on circumstantial evidence and can employ aggressive tactics that can lead to an overreach of power, potentially resulting in the forfeiture of assets that are entirely unrelated to any wrongdoing.

Your Rights – And How Rucci Law Defends Them

At Rucci Law, we vehemently defend your rights at every stage of the asset forfeiture process. We focus on:

• Challenging Probable Cause: We scrutinize the evidence the government presents and challenge the validity of the probable cause standard.
• Due Process Violations: We aggressively defend against any procedural errors or violations of your due process rights.
• Lack of Connection: We demonstrate a lack of sufficient evidence connecting the seized assets to the alleged criminal activity.
• Expert Witness Testimony: Utilizing forensic accountants and other experts to analyze the evidence and expose weaknesses in the government’s case.

Don’t face this challenging legal battle alone. Rucci Law provides strategic, aggressive representation to protect your financial future. We’ve successfully defended countless California clients against wrongful property seizure, and we’re committed to achieving the best possible outcome for you.

© 2024 Rucci Law. Contact us to schedule a consultation.

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