GETTING CURIOUS | How Do Cops Get Away With Robbery? (ICYMI) with Professor Saleema Snow

Imagine a situation where the cops can take your car, your house, and your cash. You could be waiting years to get your possessions back, without an attorney to help you. And the police can ultimately keep or sell your belongings—for profit. How’d they get away with it? Civil asset forfeiture. This Fourth of July week, we’re revisiting an episode with Professor Saleema Snow all about this damaging practice.

A lot has changed since we first aired this episode in 2020 (including our audio quality!) but this topic is as relevant as ever. The Supreme Court recently decided to hear a case about civil asset forfeiture—Culley v. Marshall—next term.

Professor Saleema Snow is a Professor of Law at the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law and the director of the school’s Legal Writing Program. At the time of this recording, she was also the President of Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights, supporting the rights of Muslim women and children; an elected member of the D.C. Bar Board of Governors; and President of the National Association of Muslim Lawyers.

You can follow Professor Snow on Twitter @SaleemaSnow.

Curious for more? Here are some relevant episodes:

How Many Hard Rights Can One Supreme Court Take?

What Happened To Separation Of Church And State?

What’s At The Heart Of Black Disability Politics?

Who Does America’s “Child Welfare System” Serve?

Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com.

Find books from Getting Curious guests at bookshop.org/shop/curiouswithjvn.

Our executive producer is Erica Getto. Our producer is Chris McClure. Production support from Julie Carrillo.

Our theme music is “Freak” by QUIÑ; for more, head to TheQuinCat.com.

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