House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North
Reading) has appointed State Representative Alyson Sullivan (R-Abington) to a
special legislative commission that will review the state’s policies and
practices relative to civil asset forfeiture.
The 21-member commission, which was created as part of the
Fiscal Year 2020 state budget, will examine the current standard of proof
required in Massachusetts for law enforcement to establish that property seized
is related to a crime and how that differs from the standard used in other states.
The commission will also look at other aspects of the law, including the
current documentation and reporting requirements for law enforcement, how the
state allocates and spends civil asset forfeiture proceeds, and the process
available for property owners to challenge a seizure.
“Alyson has done a tremendous job representing her
constituents during her first year in office, and I am confident she will be an
asset to the special commission as it works to evaluate the state’s civil asset
forfeiture laws and determine if any changes are needed,” said Representative
Jones.
“I am honored to be appointed by Leader Jones to serve on
the Civil Asset Forfeiture Commission. I look forward to working with my
colleagues and other members of the commission on the important work to review
and if appropriate, to provide recommendations to improve the Commonwealth’s
civil asset forfeiture laws,” said Representative Sullivan.
The commission is comprised of several legislators, law
enforcement officials, attorneys, and advocacy groups, including
representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union and the Boston Chapter
of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The
commission is expected to hold its first meeting in September, and to report its
findings and recommendations to the Legislature by December 31, 2019.
Sullivan currently serves as a member of Joint Committee on
the Judiciary and the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and
Recovery. She is also a member of the House Committee on Personnel and
Administration.
A lifelong Abington resident, Sullivan was elected to the
House of Representatives in November of 2018. She represents the Seventh
Plymouth District, which includes the towns of Abington, Whitman and Precincts
2, 3 and 4 in East Bridgewater.
