Civil forfeiture

"That's insane," Judge Arlene Bluth exclaimed in court.

"There has never been any vehicle for public accountability—the police department has vigorously resisted it. Finally, there will be some measure of accountability."

The city reaps millions from civil forfeiture every year.

Once the IRS has the money, they offer the parties a choice: pay a settlement, or face the threat of legal action while your money stays in limbo.

It's 'Law & Order: Civil Asset Forfeiture Unit'

Elected officials are calling for the city to reexamine the shady mechanism that fills the city's coffers with millions of dollars every year.

How an archaic policy based on a 133-year-old law robs poor New Yorkers of millions of dollars every year.