Bloomberg Law
Feb. 20, 2019, 3:30 PM UTC

Supreme Court Curbs State Power to Levy Fines, Seize Property

Greg Stohr
Greg Stohr
Bloomberg News

The U.S. Supreme Court curbed the power of cities and states to levy fines and seize property, siding with a man trying to keep his Land Rover after he pleaded guilty to selling drugs.

The unanimous ruling marks the first time the court has said states and cities are bound by the Constitution’s ban on excessive fines, part of the Eighth Amendment. The Feb. 20 ruling limits what critics say is an increasingly common and abusive government practice of using fines and forfeitures to raise revenue.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who had been away from the court for almost two ...

Learn more about Bloomberg Law or Log In to keep reading:

Learn About Bloomberg Law

AI-powered legal analytics, workflow tools and premium legal & business news.

Already a subscriber?

Log in to keep reading or access research tools.