Pubdate: Wed, 24 May 2000 Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (GA) Copyright: 2000 Cox Interactive Media. Contact: http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/ Forum: http://www.accessatlanta.com/community/forums/ Author: Thomas E. Bennett, of Fayetteville, is a retired law enforcement officer. Bookmark: MAP's link to Asset Forfeiture articles is: http://www.mapinc.org/af.htm. SEIZE PROPERTY Let me get this straight: Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin has two houses, and he is declared indigent? Even though he owns two parcels of real estate, the taxpayer is expected to pay for his lawyers? Maybe the state should seize one or both of the residences to defray the costs of the state-furnished attorneys. It's no wonder our criminal justice system is going broke. Indigent defendants should be required to liquidate at least 50 percent of their assets to help defray costs of their legal defense. Those defendants who are truly destitute deserve assistance, but people who have the ability to pay either partially or fully for their defense counsel should be required to do so. THOMAS E. BENNETT - --- MAP posted-by: Don Beck