An Act establishing a right to counsel in civil asset forfeiture cases

This bill amends Massachusetts law to guarantee that individuals facing civil asset forfeiture proceedings have access to legal representation if they are natural persons. When a private citizen claims seized property, the court clerk must verify their status, and if confirmed, the state's public counsel services will assign an attorney to represent them. The legislation also directs that funds recovered from the sale of forfeited assets be used to pay these appointed lawyers and support legal aid for other indigent cases. By modifying existing statutes, the bill ensures that low-income individuals can defend their property rights in court without having to hire their own attorneys.