Source: The Atlanta Constitution Contact: 404-526-5611 Pubdate: Tue, 6 Jan 1998 Newshawk note: The Constitution is, I believe, the largest daily paper in the South. WHEN PROPERTY SEIZURE GOES TOO FAR The article "Seized assets a cash cow for police" (State News, Dec. 28) rhapsodized about how much money the practice of asset forfeiture is bringing to Georgia police. Unfortunately, the article failed to emphasize that much of the money and property state and federal police seize for supposed drug crimes is not taken from convicted criminals; rather, it is seized from people only *suspected* of committing crimes. It may be hard to believe, but according to Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.), in his book titled "Forfeiting Our Property Rights," "80% of those who lose property to the government through civil forfeitures are never charged with any crime." Furthermore, although it is easy for police to seize our property on little more than suspicion, an innocent owner, to get this property back, must prove his innocence through a difficult legal process. In the name of "fighting drugs," billions of dollars have been seized from Americans who have never been convicted of any crime -- or even been charged with one. By legalizing such tactics, the War on Drugs is turning America into a police state and turning our police into robbers with badges. James W. Harris