Associated Press 

AUSTIN — Travis County prosecutors routinely return some cash seized in felony drug investigations, even when they believe the money stemmed from criminal activity, a newspaper reported Sunday.

Last year, the district attorney's office returned nearly a quarter-million dollars to about 80 defendants, according to an analysis by the Austin American-Statesman. The payments ranged from $500 to $14,700 and represented from a fourth to more than half of what law officers took as part of an investigation.

In one case last year, a suspect who had about $26,000 taken from his home was given $8,000 of it back after being convicted.

Texas law requires prosecutors to sue defendants in civil court to keep money taken in drug cases, linking it directly to criminal activity. Instead of sending those cases to a judge, the Travis County prosecutors normally settle the matter with defendants, almost always returning some of the money.

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