Title: Ervin v. City of Birmingham

State: alabama

Issuer: Alabama Supreme Court

Document:

REL: 03/22/2013 
Notice: T h i s 
o p i n i o n i s s u b j e c t t o f o r m a l 
r e v i s i o n b e f o r e 
p u b l i c a t i o n i n 
t h e 
advance 
s h e e t s o f 
Southern Reporter. 
R e a d e r s a r e r e q u e s t e d t o n o t i f y t h e 
Reporter of 
Decisions, 
Alabama A p p e l l a t e C o u r t s , 300 D e x t e r Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36104-3741 ((334) 229¬
0 6 4 9 ) , o f 
any 
t y p o g r a p h i c a l o r o t h e r e r r o r s , i n 
o r d e r t h a t c o r r e c t i o n s may 
be 
made b e f o r e 
t h e o p i n i o n i s 
p r i n t e d i n 
Southern Reporter. 
SUPREME COURT OF ALABAMA 
OCTOBER TERM, 2012-2013 
1101555 
D e r r i c k E r v i n 
v. 
C i t y o f 
Birmingham 
Appeal from J e f f e r s o n C i r c u i t 
Court 
(CV-11-901025) 
MURDOCK, 
J u s t i c e . 
D e r r i c k E r v i n a p p e a l s 
f r o m a summary j u d g m e n t i n 
f a v o r o f 
t h e 
C i t y o f B i r m i n g h a m ("the 
C i t y " ) i n h i s 
i n rem a c t i o n 
s e e k i n g t h e 
r e t u r n o f $ 1 7 8 , 8 5 8 . 
We 
a f f i r m . 
1101555 
I . 
F a c t s and P r o c e d u r a l 
H i s t o r y 
M o s t 
o f t h e p e r t i n e n t 
f a c t s 
l e a d i n g t o t h e 
f i l i n g 
o f 
E r v i n ' s a c t i o n were s u m m a r i z e d i n t h e c o m p l a i n t f o r f o r f e i t u r e 
o f t h e s u b j e c t $178,858 ( s o m e t i m e s h e r e i n a f t e r r e f e r r e d t o as 
" t h e 
s u b j e c t 
p r o p e r t y " 
o r " t h e c a s h " ) 
f i l e d 
by 
t h e 
U n i t e d 
S t a t e s on A u g u s t 2 1 , 2 0 0 6 , i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s D i s t r i c t 
C o u r t 
f o r 
t h e N o r t h e r n 
D i s t r i c t 
o f A l a b a m a 
("the f e d e r a l 
d i s t r i c t 
c o u r t " ) : 
" T h a t 
an 
i n v e s t i g a t i o n 
c o n d u c t e d 
by 
t h e 
D r u g 
E n f o r c e m e n t 
A d m i n i s t r a t i o n 
(DEA), 
t o g e t h e r 
w i t h 
l o c a l 
l a w e n f o r c e m e n t 
a g e n c i e s , 
i n t o 
t h e 
i l l e g a l 
t r a n s p o r t a t i o n 
and 
s a l e 
o f 
c o c a i n e 
i n 
t h e 
B i r m i n g h a m , A l a b a m a a r e a has r e v e a l e d t h e f o l l o w i n g : 
" ( a ) 
T h a t 
s i n c e 
a p p r o x i m a t e l y 
1997, 
D e r r i c k 
E r v i n 
has 
b e e n 
e n g a g e d 
i n 
a 
c o n s p i r a c y 
w i t h 
o t h e r 
i n d i v i d u a l s 
t o 
s e l l 
and 
d i s t r i b u t e 
m u l t i - k i l o g r a m 
q u a n t i t i e s 
o f 
c o c a i n e 
i n t h e B i r m i n g h a m , 
A l a b a m a 
a r e a . 
"(b) 
T h a t on o r a b o u t 
F e b r u a r y 
16, 2 0 0 6 , 
o f f i c e r s 
w i t h 
t h e 
B i r m i n g h a m , 
A l a b a m a 
P o l i c e 
D e p a r t m e n t 
(BPD), were 
c o n d u c t i n g 
s u r v e i l l a n c e a t The 
P a t i o 
C l u b 
a p a r t m e n t c o m p l e x , 
l o c a t e d a t 3 4 0 0 
C l a i r m o n t 
A v e n u e 
S o u t h , 
B i r m i n g h a m , 
A l a b a m a , 
b e c a u s e 
o f 
s u s p e c t e d 
i l l e g a l 
d r u g 
a c t i v i t y . 
D u r i n g 
t h a t 
s u r v e i l l a n c e , 
o f f i c e r s 
o b s e r v e d 
t h r e e 
i n d i v i d u a l s 
l e a v e A p a r t m e n t 2 0 4 and p r o c e e d t o t h e r e a r o f t h e 
a p a r t m e n t 
c o m p l e x ; 
one 
o f 
t h e 
i n d i v i d u a l s 
was 
c a r r y i n g 
a b l a c k b a g 
on h i s s h o u l d e r . 
An 
o f f i c e r 
f o l l o w e d 
t h e 
t h r e e 
men 
and 
h e a r d 
t h e s o u n d 
o f 
a 
v e h i c l e b e i n g u n l o c k e d and l o c k e d a g a i n ; t h e 
o f f i c e r 
t h e n 
h e a r d 
what 
he 
r e c o g n i z e d 
as 
t h e s o u n d 
o f 
a 
2 
1101555 
h a n d g u n 
b e i n g 
' c h a m b e r e d ' 
w i t h 
a 
r o u n d 
o f 
a m m u n i t i o n . 
" ( c ) T h a t t h e BPD 
o f f i c e r t h e n i d e n t i f i e d h i m s e l f 
by 
s t a t i n g 
' B i r m i n g h a m 
P o l i c e ' 
and 
a s k e d 
who 
had 
c h a m b e r e d t h e 
r o u n d . One 
o f 
t h e 
i n d i v i d u a l s , 
l a t e r 
i d e n t i f i e d 
as D e r r i c k E r v i n , was 
s t a n d i n g 
by 
a 2002 
g r e e n GMC 
D e n a l i 
t r u c k as he r e m o v e d a handgun f r o m 
h i s w a i s t b a n d , 
p o i n t e d 
t h e weapon i n t h e 
d i r e c t i o n 
o f 
t h e 
o f f i c e r 
and 
f i r e d 
m u l t i p l e 
s h o t s ; E r v i n 
and 
t h e 
o t h e r 
two 
i n d i v i d u a l s 
t h e n 
f l e d 
on 
f o o t . 
O f f i c e r s 
a p p r e h e n d e d 
one 
o f 
t h e 
o t h e r 
men, 
D o n a l d 
L u n d y , as 
he 
c r o u c h e d b e h i n d 
a v e h i c l e , p o i n t i n g 
a 
handgun i n t h e d i r e c t i o n o f a n o t h e r p o l i c e 
o f f i c e r . 
"(d) 
T h a t 
t h e 
t h i r d 
i n d i v i d u a l , 
C a r l 
S i m s , 
was 
o b s e r v e d e n t e r i n g 
a n e a r b y g r o c e r y 
s t o r e , 
and 
t h e n 
a r r e s t e d by 
o f f i c e r s i n s i d e t h e s t o r e ; a f i r e a r m 
was 
f o u n d i n t h e n e a r b y p a r k i n g 
l o t . 
" ( e ) T h a t o f f i c e r s 
l a t e r f o u n d D e r r i c k E r v i n 
s e v e r a l 
b l o c k s 
a w a y ; a n o t h e r 
f i r e a r m 
was 
f o u n d 
n e a r 
t h a t 
s c e n e . 
" ( f ) 
T h a t 
o f f i c e r s 
d e t e r m i n e d 
t h a t 
t h e 
g r e e n 
2002 
GMC 
D e n a l i 
t r u c k , 
was 
r e g i s t e r e d 
t o 
D e r r i c k 
E r v i n 
and i m p o u n d e d t h e v e h i c l e . On F e b r u a r y 17, 2006, 
BPD 
o f f i c e r s o b t a i n e d 
a s t a t e s e a r c h w a r r a n t f o r 
E r v i n ' s 
v e h i c l e 
i n 
c o n n e c t i o n 
w i t h 
s u s p e c t e d 
i l l e g a l 
d r u g 
a c t i v i t y . 
"(g) 
BPD 
o f f i c e r s u s e d a d r u g d e t e c t i o n 
dog 
a r o u n d 
t h e 
o u t s i d e 
o f 
t h e 
t r u c k ; 
t h e 
dog 
r e a c t e d 
t o 
t h e 
o d o r 
o f 
c o n t r o l l e d s u b s t a n c e s . 
A t 
t h a t 
p o i n t , 
DEA 
 
a g e n t s 
and 
BPD 
d e t e c t i v e s 
e x e c u t e d 
t h e 
s e a r c h 
 
w a r r a n t o f t h e 
t r u c k ' s 
i n t e r i o r . 
D u r i n g t h e 
s e a r c h , 
o f f i c e r s 
f o u n d 
a 
b l a c k 
bag 
c o n t a i n i n g 
t h i r t y - t w o 
(32) b u n d l e s o f c a s h , e a c h b o u n d w i t h r u b b e r b a n d s , 
t o t a l i n g 
$ 1 6 0 , 8 4 0 . 0 0 
i n 
U.S. 
c u r r e n c y 
on 
t h e 
d r i v e r ' s 
s i d e 
r e a r 
s e a t 
o f 
t h e 
v e h i c l e . 
O f f i c e r s 
a l s o 
f o u n d 
a shoe box 
i n t h e 
b a c k 
s e a t 
c o n t a i n i n g 
s i x 
(6) more b u n d l e s o f c a s h , t o t a l i n g $ 1 8 , 0 0 0 . 0 0 i n 
3 
1101555 
U.S. 
c u r r e n c y . 
O f f i c e r s 
a l s o 
f o u n d 
a s s o r t e d 
d o c u m e n t s b e a r i n g 
E r v i n ' s name, as w e l l as a n o t h e r 
a d d i t i o n a l $18.00 i n c a s h i n 
t h e t r u c k ' s 
c o n s o l e . As 
a 
r e s u l t 
o f t h e s e a r c h , 
l a w e n f o r c e m e n t 
o f f i c e r s 
s e i z e d t h e d e f e n d a n t $178,858.00 i n 
U.S. c u r r e n c y . "
1 
( E m p h a s i s a d d e d . ) 
E r v i n d i d n o t c o n t e s t 
t h e a b o v e - r e l a t e d 
f a c t s i n t h e 
f e d e r a l d i s t r i c t c o u r t . 
I n t h e p r e s e n t a c t i o n , E r v i n c o n t e n d s 
t h a t t h e c a s h was 
i n i t i a l l y 
s e i z e d by t h e B i r m i n g h a m 
P o l i c e 
D e p a r t m e n t 
("the B P D " ) , n o t b y t h e Drug E n f o r c e m e n t 
A g e n c y 
("the 
DEA"), and t h a t t h e c a s h was s u b s e q u e n t l y t r a n s f e r r e d b y 
"unknown B i r m i n g h a m p o l i c e o f f i c e r s ... t o t h e DEA t o commence 
f o r f e i t u r e o r c o n d e m n a t i o n p r o c e e d i n g s " i n 
t h e f e d e r a l 
c o u r t . 
E r v i n 
a l l e g e s 
t h a t 
n e i t h e r 
t h e J e f f e r s o n 
C o u n t y 
D i s t r i c t 
A t t o r n e y n o r t h e A l a b a m a A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l was n o t i f i e d o f 
t h e 
s e i z u r e o f t h e c a s h b y t h e BPD. 
E r v i n 
a l s o e m p h a s i z e s 
t h a t 
1The 
u n p u b l i s h e d 
memorandum 
o f t h e C o u r t 
o f 
C r i m i n a l 
A p p e a l s 
i n E r v i n ' s 
c r i m i n a l 
c a s e 
r e l a t e s 
t h a t 
f o r t h e s e 
a c t i o n s E r v i n was c o n v i c t e d o f f i r s t - d e g r e e a t t e m p t e d a s s a u l t , 
t r a f f i c k i n g i n c o c a i n e w h i l e i n p o s s e s s i o n o f a f i r e a r m , and 
f a i l u r e t o a f f i x t a x s t a m p s . 
E r v i n v . S t a t e 
(No. CR-07-0125, 
Aug. 
27 
, 2010 
), 84 So. 3d 1016 ( A l a . C r i m . App. 2010) 
( t a b l e ) . 
He was s e n t e n c e d t o 10 y e a r s ' 
i m p r i s o n m e n t , 
l i f e i n p r i s o n 
w i t h o u t t h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f p a r o l e , a n d 10 y e a r s ' 
i m p r i s o n m e n t , 
r e s p e c t i v e l y , f o r 
t h o s e c o n v i c t i o n s ; t h e s e n t e n c e s were t o 
r u n 
c o n c u r r e n t l y . 
The C o u r t o f C r i m i n a l 
A p p e a l s 
a f f i r m e d t h e 
c o n v i c t i o n s , 
and 
t h i s 
C o u r t 
d e n i e d 
c e r t i o r a r i 
r e v i e w . 
Ex 
p a r t e 
E r v i n 
(No. 1 
10 
0048 , A u g . 5, 2 0 1 1 ) , 
So. 3d 
( A l a . 2011) 
( t a b l e ) . 
4 
1101555 
t h e w a r r a n t t o s e a r c h h i s v e h i c l e was i s s u e d b y a J e f f e r s o n 
C i r c u i t 
C o u r t 
j u d g e . 
As 
n o t e d a b o v e , on A u g u s t 2 1 , 2006, t h e U n i t e d 
S t a t e s 
f i l e d 
a 
c o m p l a i n t 
i n t h e f e d e r a l 
d i s t r i c t 
c o u r t 
s e e k i n g 
f o r f e i t u r e 
o f t h e c a s h p u r s u a n t t o 21 U.S.C. § 8 8 1 .
2 
E r v i n 
was 
s e r v e d w i t h n o t i c e o f t h e c o m p l a i n t 
t h r o u g h h i s c o u n s e l o f 
r e c o r d . 
On J a n u a r y 18, 2008, E r v i n f i l e d a m o t i o n t o w i t h d r a w 
h i s 
v e r i f i e d c l a i m f o r t h e c a s h i n 
t h e f e d e r a l d i s t r i c t 
c o u r t . 
The 
m o t i o n s t a t e d t h a t E r v i n "no l o n g e r w i s h e s t o p u r s u e t h e 
c l a i m and s e e k s t o w i t h d r a w s a i d c l a i m and c o n s e n t [ s ] t o 
t h e 
f o r f e i t u r e o f s a i d s u b j e c t 
p r o p e r t y . " 
On J a n u a r y 23, 2008, t h e f e d e r a l d i s t r i c t 
c o u r t 
e n t e r e d 
a f i n a l j u d g m e n t f o r f e i t i n g t h e $178,858 t o t h e U n i t e d 
S t a t e s . 
E r v i n d i d n o t a p p e a l 
t h a t 
j u d g m e n t and h a s n o t s o u g h t any 
p o s t j u d g m e n t 
r e l i e f 
f r o m i t i n t h e f e d e r a l 
c o u r t 
i t s e l f . 
P u r s u a n t 
t o " e q u i t a b l e 
s h a r i n g " o f t h e s e i z u r e , t h e C i t y 
r e c e i v e d 
t h e m a j o r i t y 
o f t h e c a s h 
f o r i t s r o l e 
i n t h e 
o p e r a t i o n , and t h e DEA k e p t a s m a l l 
p e r c e n t a g e . 
On M a r c h 25, 2 0 1 1 , E r v i n 
f i l e d i n t h e J e f f e r s o n 
C i r c u i t 
C o u r t a c o m p l a i n t 
f o r t h e r e t u r n o f t h e s u b j e c t 
p r o p e r t y , 
2 T i t l e 
21 U.S.C. 
§ 
881 
i s p a r t 
o f t h e 
C o n t r o l l e d 
S u b s t a n c e s A c t . 
5 
1101555 
a l l e g i n g 
t h a t 
i t had 
b e e n s e i z e d u n d e r § 2 0 - 2 - 9 3 , A l a . Code 
1975, 
and 
t h a t 
f o r f e i t u r e p r o c e e d i n g s s h o u l d have o c c u r r e d 
i n 
a c c o r d a n c e w i t h 
t h a t 
s t a t u t e .
3 
E r v i n 
a l l e g e d 
t h a t , 
b e c a u s e 
s u c h f o r f e i t u r e p r o c e e d i n g s had n e v e r b e e n i n s t i t u t e d , he 
was 
e n t i t l e d 
t o t h e 
r e t u r n o f t h e 
s u b j e c t 
p r o p e r t y . 
On May 
9, 2011, 
t h e C i t y f i l e d a m o t i o n t o d i s m i s s 
o r , i n 
t h e 
a l t e r n a t i v e , f o r 
a summary 
j u d g m e n t , 
n o t i n g 
t h a t 
t h e 
s u b j e c t p r o p e r t y had b e e n f o r f e i t e d t h r o u g h p r o c e e d i n g s i n t h e 
f e d e r a l d i s t r i c t 
c o u r t . 
On May 
18, 
2011, 
E r v i n f i l e d a c r o s s -
m o t i o n 
f o r 
a summary j u d g m e n t 
i n w h i c h 
he 
a l l e g e d 
t h a t 
t h e 
f e d e r a l 
d i s t r i c t 
c o u r t 
n e v e r 
a c q u i r e d 
j u r i s d i c t i o n 
o v e r 
t h e 
s u b j e c t 
p r o p e r t y 
and 
t h a t , 
t h e r e f o r e , 
t h e 
d i s t r i c t 
c o u r t ' s 
j u d g m e n t was 
v o i d . 
E r v i n 
f i l e d no e v i d e n c e i n s u p p o r t o f 
h i s 
c r o s s - m o t i o n f o r a summary j u d g m e n t . 
On 
May 
31, 
2011, 
t h e 
c i r c u i t 
c o u r t 
e n t e r e d 
an 
o r d e r 
g r a n t i n g 
t h e 
C i t y ' s 
summary-judgment 
m o t i o n 
and 
d e n y i n g 
E r v i n ' s m o t i o n . 
The 
c i r c u i t 
c o u r t c o n c l u d e d t h a t t h e 
f e d e r a l 
d i s t r i c t 
c o u r t had " p r o p e r l y 
e x e r c i s e d 
j u r i s d i c t i o n " o v e r 
t h e 
c a s h 
b e c a u s e 
§ 
20-2-93 
d i d 
n o t 
p r o h i b i t 
t h e 
C i t y 
f r o m 
3 O u r c o u r t s h a v e n o t e d t h a t " t h e 
p r o v i s i o n s o f § 20-2-93 
a r e 
s u b s t a n t i a l l y s i m i l a r t o t h o s e c o n t a i n e d 
i n 21 U.S.C. 
§ 
881." 
Money v. 
S t a t e , 
717 
So. 
2d 38, 
46 n.4 
( A l a . C r i m . 
App. 
1 9 9 7 ) . 
6 
1101555 
t r a n s f e r r i n g 
t h e 
c a s h 
t o 
t h e 
U n i t e d 
S t a t e s 
i n 
o r d e r 
t o 
i n s t i t u t e 
f o r f e i t u r e 
p r o c e e d i n g s . 
On J u n e 30, 2011, 
E r v i n 
f i l e d a m o t i o n 
t o r e c o n s i d e r t h e 
d e n i a l 
o f h i s m o t i o n 
f o r a summary j u d g m e n t . 
On 
J u l y 
11, 
2011, 
E r v i n 
f i l e d 
an amended m o t i o n 
t o r e c o n s i d e r t h e 
d e n i a l 
o f h i s m o t i o n 
f o r a summary j u d g m e n t i n w h i c h he a t t a c h e d 
t h e 
a p p l i c a t i o n f o r t h e s e a r c h w a r r a n t p u r s u a n t 
t o w h i c h t h e 
c a s h 
was 
s e i z e d as w e l l as t h e s e a r c h w a r r a n t 
i t s e l f . 
F o l l o w i n g a h e a r i n g on E r v i n ' s m o t i o n , 
t h e c i r c u i t 
c o u r t 
on A u g u s t 16, 
2011, 
d e n i e d E r v i n ' s 
m o t i o n . 
I I . 
S t a n d a r d 
o f R e v i e w 
"An o r d e r g r a n t i n g o r d e n y i n g a summary j u d g m e n t 
i s 
r e v i e w e d 
de n o v o , a p p l y i n g t h e same s t a n d a r d 
as 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t 
a p p l i e d . 
A m e r i c a n 
Gen. 
L i f e 
& 
 
A c c i d e n t I n s . Co. v. U n d e r w o o d , 886 
So. 2d 807, 
811 
( A l a . 
2 0 0 4 ) . 
I n a d d i t i o n , 
' [ t ] h i s 
c o u r t r e v i e w s 
de 
novo a 
t r i a l 
c o u r t ' s 
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n 
o f 
a 
s t a t u t e , 
b e c a u s e o n l y a q u e s t i o n o f l a w i s p r e s e n t e d . ' 
S c o t t  
B r i d g e 
Co. 
v. W r i g h t , 
883 
So. 
2d 
1221, 
1223 
( A l a . 
2 0 0 3 ) . 
Where, 
as 
h e r e , 
t h e 
f a c t s 
o f 
a 
c a s e 
a r e 
e s s e n t i a l l y 
u n d i s p u t e d , 
t h i s 
C o u r t 
must 
d e t e r m i n e 
w h e t h e r 
t h e 
t r i a l 
c o u r t m i s a p p l i e d t h e 
l a w 
t o 
t h e 
u n d i s p u t e d 
f a c t s , 
a p p l y i n g 
a de 
novo 
s t a n d a r d 
o f 
r e v i e w . 
C a r t e r v. 
C i t y 
o f 
H a l e y v i l l e , 
669 
So. 
2d 
812, 
815 
( A l a . 
1 9 9 5 ) . " 
C o n t i n e n t a l 
N a t ' l 
Indem. 
Co. 
v. 
F i e l d s , 
926 
So. 
2d 
1033, 
1034-35 
( A l a . 2 0 0 5 ) . 
7 
1101555 
I I I . 
A n a l y s i s 
E r v i n ' s 
a c t i o n amounts t o 
a 
c o l l a t e r a l 
a t t a c k 
i n 
s t a t e 
c o u r t 
on 
a 
f i n a l j u d g m e n t e n t e r e d 
by 
a f e d e r a l c o u r t . 
E r v i n 
a s s e r t s a r i g h t t o p r o p e r t y 
g i v e n 
t o t h e 
S t a t e by 
t h e 
f e d e r a l 
g o v e r n m e n t . 
The 
f e d e r a l 
g o v e r n m e n t , 
h o w e v e r , 
o b t a i n e d 
o w n e r s h i p 
o f 
t h a t 
p r o p e r t y 
as 
a g a i n s t 
E r v i n p u r s u a n t 
t o 
t h e 
2008 j u d g m e n t o f t h e 
f e d e r a l 
d i s t r i c t 
c o u r t . 
E r v i n 
f i l e d 
no 
p o s t j u d g m e n t m o t i o n s 
c h a l l e n g i n g 
t h a t 
j u d g m e n t , 
n o r 
d i d 
he 
a p p e a l f r o m i t . 
To 
t h e 
c o n t r a r y , 
as he 
s t a t e d i n h i s m o t i o n 
t o w i t h d r a w h i s c l a i m f o r t h e c a s h f i l e d i n t h e f e d e r a l 
c o u r t , 
E r v i n " c o n s e n t [ e d ] t o t h e f o r f e i t u r e o f t h e s u b j e c t 
p r o p e r t y . " 
A c c o r d i n g l y , 
t h e 
j u d g m e n t 
o f 
t h e 
f e d e r a l 
d i s t r i c t 
became 
a 
f i n a l 
j u d g m e n t . 
As 
t h e 
s u c c e s s o r 
i n 
t i t l e 
t o 
t h e 
f o r f e i t e d 
p r o p e r t y , 
t h e S t a t e i s e n t i t l e d t o t h e r e s j u d i c a t a b e n e f i t 
o f 
t h a t 
f i n a l j u d g m e n t . 
H e n d e r s o n v. S c o t t , 418 
So. 
2d 840, 
841¬
42 
( A l a . 
1982) 
( h o l d i n g 
t h a t 
a 
s u c c e s s o r 
i n 
i n t e r e s t 
i s 
e n t i t l e d 
t o 
r e s 
j u d i c a t a b e n e f i t 
o f 
p r i o r j u d g m e n t 
a w a r d i n g 
p r o p e r t y 
t o i t s 
p r e d e c e s s o r ) . 
E r v i n 
n e v e r t h e l e s s 
c o n t e n d s 
t h a t 
t h e 
c a s h 
was 
s e i z e d 
p u r s u a n t t o a s e a r c h w a r r a n t i s s u e d by a S t a t e j u d g e u n d e r 
t h e 
a u s p i c e s 
o f 
§ 
2 0 - 2 - 9 3 , 
A l a . 
Code 
1975, 
t h a t 
S t a t e 
l a w -
8 
1101555 
e n f o r c e m e n t o f f i c i a l s 
i n i t i a l l y s e i z e d t h e c a s h , and t h a t 
t h e y 
i m p r o p e r l y t r a n s f e r r e d t h e c a s h t o f e d e r a l o f f i c i a l s . 
E v e n i f 
a l l 
t h e s e 
c o n t e n t i o n s 
were c o r r e c t , t h e y amount 
o n l y t o an 
a t t a c k 
on t h e 
a u t h o r i t y o f t h e 
f e d e r a l 
d i s t r i c t 
c o u r t 
t o 
e x e r c i s e j u r i s d i c t i o n o v e r t h e r e s i n an i n rem a c t i o n , n o t an 
a t t a c k on t h e s u b j e c t - m a t t e r 
j u r i s d i c t i o n o f t h e f e d e r a l c o u r t 
o v e r a f o r f e i t u r e a c t i o n b r o u g h t u n d e r f e d e r a l l a w . 
As s u c h , 
t h e y come t o o l a t e and a r e b e i n g a d v a n c e d i n t h e w r o n g 
c o u r t . 
See P o r s c h e C a r s N o r t h A m e r i c a , I n c . v. P o r s c h e . n e t , 
302 F.3d 
248, 256 ( 4 t h C i r . 2002) 
( d i s t i n g u i s h i n g 
b e t w e e n 
o b j e c t i o n s 
t o 
s u b j e c t - m a t t e r 
j u r i s d i c t i o n 
and 
o b j e c t i o n s t o a 
c o u r t ' s 
e x e r c i s e o f j u r i s d i c t i o n o v e r t h e r e s i n an i n rem a c t i o n , and 
e x p l a i n i n g 
t h a t , as w i t h 
i n p e r s o n a m 
j u r i s d i c t i o n , 
" i n ... 
c i v i l 
f o r f e i t u r e 
c a s e s , 
f o r y e a r s 
c o u r t s 
h a v e 
h e l d 
t h a t 
o b j e c t i o n s t o i n rem 
j u r i s d i c t i o n 
may be w a i v e d " and 
c i t i n g 
c a s e s i n s u p p o r t ) ; 
U n i t e d 
S t a t e s v . N i n e t e e n 
T h o u s a n d 
E i g h t  
H u n d r e d 
F i f t y 
F i v e 
($19,855.00) 
D o l l a r s 
i n U n i t e d 
S t a t e s 
C u r r e n c y [Ms. 2:12-CV-14 
6-WKW, Nov. 19, 2 0 1 2 ] , 
F. Supp. 3d 
, 
n.6 
and 
a c c o m p a n y i n g 
t e x t 
(M.D. 
A l a . 
2012) 
( e x p l a i n i n g 
t h a t 
o b j e c t i o n s 
t o i n rem 
j u r i s d i c t i o n 
may 
be 
9 
1101555 
w a i v e d i f n o t t i m e l y 
a s s e r t e d ) . 
See a l s o E d n e y v . C i t y o f 
M o n t g o m e r y , 960 F. Supp. 270, 273 (M.D. A l a . 1 9 9 7 ) : 
" A f t e r t h e c i t y 
s e i z e d t h e c u r r e n c y a t i s s u e , 
t h e 
DEA a d o p t e d t h e c i t y ' s 
s e i z u r e b y 
a u t h o r i z i n g 
t h e 
c i t y t o s e i z e t h e money on b e h a l f o f t h e DEA and 
t o 
t r a n s f e r t h e money t o t h e DEA. 
' [ U ] n d e r t h e 
" a d o p t i v e 
f o r f e i t u r e " 
d o c t r i n e , t h e U n i t e d 
S t a t e s ' 
a d o p t i o n o f t h e S t a t e ' s 
s e i z u r e o f [ t h e p l a i n t i f f s ' ] 
c a s h h a s t h e same e f f e c t as i f t h e g o v e r n m e n t h a d 
o r i g i n a l l y 
s e i z e d t h e c u r r e n c y . ' 
U.S. v . $119,000  
i n U.S. C u r r e n c y , 793 F. Supp. 246, 249 (D. Haw. 
1 9 9 2 ) . 
T h a t i s , ' [ o ] n c e t h e f e d e r a l g o v e r n m e n t h a s 
t a k e n 
c u s t o d y o f p r o p e r t y 
u n d e r 21 U.S.C. § 8 8 1 , 
s u c h 
p r o p e r t y 
i s n o t r e p l e v i a b l e , 
s u b j e c t 
o n l y t o 
o r d e r s f r o m t h e c o u r t 
h a v i n g 
j u r i s d i c t i o n 
o v e r t h e 
f o r f e i t u r e p r o c e e d i n g . ' 
I d . And i t 
i s t h e f e d e r a l  
d i s t r i c t 
c o u r t 
t h a t h a s o r i g i n a l 
j u r i s d i c t i o n o f a  
f e d e r a l 
f o r f e i t u r e 
a c t i o n . 28 U.S.C. § 1 3 5 5 ( a ) . " 
( E m p h a s i s added.) 
IV. 
C o n c l u s i o n 
We a f f i r m t h e j u d g m e n t o f t h e c i r c u i t 
c o u r t 
g r a n t i n g t h e 
C i t y ' s 
m o t i o n f o r a summary j u d g m e n t on E r v i n ' s 
c l a i m f o r 
r e t u r n o f $178,858 i n c a s h p r e v i o u s l y 
o r d e r e d 
f o r f e i t e d b y a 
f i n a l j u d g m e n t o f t h e f e d e r a l c o u r t 
d i s t r i c t 
c o u r t . 
AFFIRMED. 
M o o r e , C . J . , and B o l i n and M a i n , J J . , c o n c u r . 
B r y a n , J . , c o n c u r s i n t h e r e s u l t . 
10