Which term means the seizure of personal property by the state as a civil or criminal penalty?

• A. Forfeiture
• B. Summons
• C. Expungement
• D. Diversion programs

Answer: (A)

Forfeiture is the legal process by which the government takes ownership of property as a penalty tied to criminal activity. It covers both civil and criminal contexts. In a civil forfeiture, the state can seize property connected to alleged wrongdoing without convicting the owner of a crime, applying the seizure based on a lower evidentiary standard and focusing on the property itself. In criminal forfeiture, the seizure occurs as part of or following a criminal conviction, and the property is forfeited as part of the sentence. This concept is different from a summons, which is just a notice to appear in court; expungement, which removes records of charges or convictions; and diversion programs, which offer alternatives to formal charges. Because forfeiture specifically refers to the state's seizure of property as a penalty, it is the correct term.