&gt; where exactly do you draw the line in between law enforcement taking obviously stolen property and law enforcement taking personal property?<p>The difference is the &quot;obviously stolen&quot; part. None of the ludicrous instances of civil asset forfeiture I have read involve property that is obviously (or even allegedly) stolen. Heck, half the time it&#x27;s just a cop pulling someone over on a highway, stealing their cash, and sending them on their way.