Regarding the fourth amendment, the assets must be discovered pursuant to a legitimate search (either a legitimate search incident to arrest or traffic stop or a search pursuant to a warrant). Regarding the other amendments: civil asset forfeiture does not involve the government taking away your legitimate property to punish you for a crime. It involves seizing property that is more likely than not the proceeds or instrumentality of criminal activity. It has its roots in admiralty law and the seizure of contraband from ships, which was not considered a deprivation of property subject to due process at the time of the founding: <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.forbes.com&#x2F;2011&#x2F;06&#x2F;08&#x2F;property-civil-forfeiture.html" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.forbes.com&#x2F;2011&#x2F;06&#x2F;08&#x2F;property-civil-forfeiture.h...</a>.