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Anecdotes that were raised in the media don't prove anything other than that there are exceptions.

When you make a statement like "99 times out of 100" it's up to you to prove that with statistics. My initial belief is that you made up that 99/100 number and evidence of people not getting their money back only reinforces that belief.

Oh, I agree - someone should do a study like that. ...but anecdotes don't prove anything.

The process for reclaiming seized assets is well documented...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_forfeiture_in_the_United...

Nothing in that link supports your assertion that just showing up typically suffices.

> Victims often have "long legal struggles to get their money back".

The statistic in the article that 85% of seizures that are kept are the product of people not showing up to court, does indeed suggest that.

85% of people not showing up for court does not mean that 85% of people would win immediately upon showing up. As my examples demonstrate, merely showing up can be the first step in a very lengthy and expensive process.

If I go see a lawyer and they tell me "it'll take years, you'll get back only some of the money, and most of it will go to paying me", I'd skip court too.

What do bare assertions unsupported by even anecdotes prove?

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