Wildlife and enforcement officials have reported yet another monk seal death on Oʻahu. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement responded to a report of a young monk seal, identified as RS48, and also known as Hoʻomau Lehua. The seal was found dead on June 12, 2023, on the North Shore of Oʻahu. NOAA officials say the cause of the seal’s death is currently unknown.
Under current South Carolina forfeiture procedures, the state can take a person’s property without even charging them with a crime. The Institute for Justice gave South Carolina a D- grade for its current forfeiture laws, saying, “South Carolina’s civil forfeiture laws offer very little protection for property owners.”