Supreme Court of the United States
Bennis v. Michigan
March 18, 1996516 U.S. 442
Summary
The Supreme Court affirmed the Michigan Supreme Court’s forfeiture of a jointly‑owned automobile, holding that the state’s abatement scheme does not violate the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause nor the Fifth Amendment’s Takings Clause. The Court relied on a long line of precedent rejecting an innocent‑owner defense in forfeiture cases. Justice Stevens, Justice Kennedy, Justice Thomas, and Justice Ginsburg filed separate opinions dissenting or concurring, each contesting the majority’s application of that precedent.