Return of Seized Property
May 28, 2026OUTCOME: briefcase returned
Portland criminal defense attorney Jonathan Ogden made headlines when the FBI detained him and seized his briefcase without a warrant as he left the downtown Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse in Dece ... mber 2025. The agents held his bag for 170 days before eventually returning it. The FBI incorrectly targeted the briefcase on the hunch that a third party had attempted to pass drugs into a federal prison through Ogden's legal mail. Ogden quickly hired fellow attorney Alison Tex Clark and was backed by the state bar to vigorously protect his clients' attorney-client privilege.He formally refused consent to search the bag, requiring federal agents to obtain a warrant. The government's eventual search revealed nothing illegal, leading to the return of the briefcase in late May 2026. Ogden, who runs his own practice in the Portland area, noted the seizure was a "jarring reminder" of the importance of demanding warrants and protecting confidential client material against federal overreach.
