Cal. FIN § 5323 — California Code / Code fin / Division 2 / Chapter 1 / Article 5 / Section 5323
Section 5323
Status: in_force

(a) Concurrent with, or subsequent to, the filing of the petition, the prosecuting agency may move the superior court for the following pendente lite orders to preserve the status quo of the property alleged in the petition of forfeiture:

(1) An injunction to restrain all interested parties and enjoin them from transferring, encumbering, hypothecating or otherwise disposing of that property.

(2) Appointment of a receiver to take possession of, care for, manage, and operate the assets and properties so that such property may be maintained and preserved.

(b) No preliminary injunction may be granted or receiver appointed without notice, that meets the requirements of Section 5321, to all the interested parties, including actual notice to targets of the anticipated criminal action, and a hearing to determine that such an order is necessary to preserve the property, pending the outcome of the criminal proceedings, and that there is probable cause to believe that the property alleged in the forfeiture proceedings are proceeds or property interests forfeitable under Section 5320. However, a temporary restraining order may issue pending that hearing pursuant to the provisions of Section 527 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

(1) In determining whether to issue a preliminary injunction or temporary restraining order in a proceeding brought by a prosecuting agency in conjunction with or subsequent to the underlying criminal proceeding, the court shall weigh the relative degree of certainty of the outcome on the merits and the consequences to each of the parties of granting the interim relief. If the prosecution is likely to prevail on the merits and the potential harm to the public outweighs the potential harm to the defendants and the interested parties, the court should grant injunctive relief. The court shall give significant weight to the following factors:

(A) The public interest in preserving liquid capital and other financial assets pendente lite.

(B) The difficulty of preserving financial assets pendente lite where the underlying alleged crimes involve issues of fraud and moral turpitude.

(C) The fact that the requested relief is being sought by a public prosecutor on behalf of alleged victims of financial crimes.

(D) The likelihood that substantial public harm has occurred where financial crimes are alleged to have been committed.

(2) In determining whether to issue a permanent injunction or temporary restraining order in a proceeding brought by a prosecuting agency before the filing of a complaint in the underlying criminal proceeding, the court shall weigh the relative degree of certainty of the outcome on the merits and the consequences to each of the parties of granting the interim relief.

(3) No injunctive order issued under this section shall impair the ability of a defendant or interested party to pay the actual legal fees or retainer for his or her legal defense to the criminal charges and the petition for forfeiture.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the court in granting these motions may order a surety bond or undertaking to preserve the property interests of the interested parties, but the court shall give significant weight to the unique circumstances of public agencies, as opposed to private litigants, in determining whether to order a surety bond or undertaking.

(d) The court shall, in making its orders, seek to protect the interests of those who may be involved in the same enterprise as the defendant, but who were not involved in the commission of the violation of a crime enumerated in Section 5320.