Lawmakers: Conviction Not Needed To Seize Property

CODY, Wyo. (AP) — A Wyoming legislative committee has rejected a bill that would have required a criminal conviction before the state could forfeit cars, cash and other property owned by people whom law enforcement officials suspect of running drugs.

The Joint Judiciary Committee on Wednesday voted instead to sponsor another bill in the coming legislation session that would reform other aspects of the state's civil asset forfeiture law.

The bill the committee endorsed at its meeting in Cody would require a judge to decide within 30 days whether a seizure was appropriate and then hold a forfeiture hearing within 120 days.

Gov. Matt Mead early this year vetoed a bill to require criminal convictions to support forfeitures, saying he didn't see problems with the state's handling of forfeitures.