Questions - Civil Forfeiture - October 2-3, 2014

National Survey of 1,000 American Americans

Conducted October 2-3, 2014

 Rasmussen Reports

1* The government can now seize an individual’s property if it believes that property was obtained through criminal activity. This process is known as civil forfeiture. Do you favor or oppose the government’s seizure of an individual’s property this way?

2*  Under the current law a criminal conviction or even a criminal charge is not necessary to seize someone’s property. Should a criminal conviction be necessary before authorities seize someone's property?

3*  Do civil forfeitures violate the Constitution's prohibition against illegal search and seizures?

4*  Do you believe that someone charged with a crime is innocent until proven guilty or that they are guilty until proven innocent?

5*  Which is more likely – that most police departments seize property to ensure public safety or that most police departments seize property because it’s a major revenue source?

NOTE: Margin of Sampling Error, +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence