New Forfeiture Law Proposed for Orange County, NY

The legislature in Orange County, NY is considering enacting a new forfeiture statute proposed by county District Attorney David Hoovler. Though law enforcement in the county already uses both current state and federal statutes, this new county-level statute would provide a "third route" that would keep all of the income from forfeiture within the county. Forty-one percent would be given to the seizing agency, the same as state law, but the rest would be divded between the county government and the District Attorney's office. Orange would join New York City, Nassau, Oneida, Westchester, and Rensselaer counties which all have their own forfeiture statutes.