This is an I-Heart podcast.

And we return to our American stories, and now it's time for another rule of law story,

which is a part of our rule of law series

where we showcase what happens in the absence and the presence of the rule of law in our lives.

Things like property rights that we just take for granted, courts in an independent judiciary,

separation of powers which gives meaning to that independence

to the judiciary, and contract rights, things that in other countries, well, good luck.

And by the way, that rule of law extends to all of us, good and bad and in between.

Here's our own Monty Montgomery with the story of a man who violated what would seem to be a clear-cut law

and the long-winded case that he became wrapped up in as a result.

In 2012, Tyson Timms found himself on the receiving end of a decent amount of cash following the death of his father.

He promptly bought a nice car, and a year later drove out to sell some drugs to undercover cops.

Here's Ilius Soman with the rest of the story.

So he was caught and he was charged with a small-scale drug offense.

He admitted that he did commit a crime.

But when he drove to this transaction, he was driving his Land Rover SUV,

which, according to estimates, was worth something like between $40 and $42,000.

So the state of Indiana seized the Land Rover through asset forfeiture.

But what's asset forfeiture? And why did law enforcement decide to leave Tyson without

his wheels over a drug offense?

Asset forfeiture is a practice whereby government can confiscate property that was used in a crime,

such as a car or in some cases even something as major as a house. And often they can do it,

...