An innocent owner defense is a concept in United States law providing for an affirmative defense that applies when an owner claims innocence of a crime and so the property should not be forfeited.
[1] United States v. Liberty Avenue[citation needed] is a case in which the innocent owner defense was used.
She claimed the innocent owner defense, but the court ruled that it applied to her as well even if it was later nullified by the Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000.
There are many jurisdictions that refuse to take any position, leaving the determination of the conjunctive or disjunctive question to the lower courts.
Moreover, courts have also inconsistently defined the statutory terms "knowledge" and "consent."