That's the "civil" in civil asset forfeiture. It isn't a criminal legal action, it takes place in a civil court. Essentially the government is suing you, which has a variety of implications. First is the reduced standard: instead of "beyond a reasonable doubt", we have "more likely than not". You also don't have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford legal counsel you have to represent yourself, no public defender will be made available for you.

Another surprising fact: immigration courts are civil courts, so the same facts as above apply to them. There's been multiple cases where undocumented minors (including those as young as 3) have been forced to represent themselves in court.