Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-02114/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-02114-3/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Kristin Burckard
Claimant
William Pearce
Claimant
Real Property Located at 24545 N. Suttenfield Road, Acampo, California
Defendant
United States of America
Plaintiff
Washington Mutual Bank
Defendant

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McGREGOR W. SCOTT

United States Attorney

KRISTIN S. DOOR, SBN 84307

Assistant U.S. Attorney

501 I Street, Suite 10-100

Sacramento, CA 95814

Telephone: (916)554-2723

Attorney for Plaintiff

United States of America

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff,

v.

REAL PROPERTY LOCATED AT 13

BLIZZARD MINE ROAD,

WILSEYVILLE, CALIFORNIA,

CALAVERAS COUNTY, APN: 012-011-

004, INCLUDING ALL

APPURTENANCES AND IMPROVEMENTS

THERETO,

Defendant. _______________________________

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Plaintiff,

v.

REAL PROPERTY LOCATED AT 24545

N. SUTTENFIELD ROAD, ACAMPO,

CALIFORNIA, SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY,

APN: 021-042-16,

Defendant _______________________________

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No. 2:07-CV-02105 WBS-KJM

STIPULATION AND ORDER FOR STAY 

Judge: Hon. William B. Shubb

No. 2:07-CV-02114 WBS-KJM

STIPULATION AND ORDER FOR STAY 

Judge: Hon. William B. Shubb

Plaintiff United States of America, and Claimants William Pearce

Case 2:07-cv-02114-WBS -EFB Document 28 Filed 03/05/08 Page 1 of 5
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and Kristin Burckard, by and through their respective counsel, hereby

stipulate that a stay is necessary in the above-entitled actions, and

request that the Court enter an order staying all further proceedings

for a period of six months pending the outcome of a related criminal

investigation against Claimants. 

1. On October 5, 2007, plaintiff filed the above-captioned

complaints for forfeiture in rem against real properties owned by

William H. Pearce and Kristin Burckard. Claimant Pearce has filed

claims to the defendant properties described in the captions above, and

has filed answers to the plaintiff’s complaints. Claimant Kristin

Burckard has filed a claim to the Suttenfield Road property and has

filed an answer to the complaint plaintiff filed against that property.

2. The stay is requested pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §§ 981(g)(1) and

981(g)(2). With respect to the Suttenfield property, the plaintiff

contends that proceeds from marijuana trafficking were used to pay down

a line of credit against the property, and that the defendant property

is therefore forfeitable to the United States pursuant to 21 U.S.C. 

§ 881(a)(6). As an alternate theory the plaintiff alleges that the

property was involved in a money laundering transaction (the use of the

proceeds of a “specified unlawful activity” (drug trafficking) to pay

off part of a lien against the property) and is therefore forfeitable

pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 981(a)(1)(A) for violations of the money

laundering statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1957. With respect to the Blizzard

Mine Road property, the plaintiff alleges that the property is

forfeitable for the same reasons as the Suttenfield property, and for

the additional reason that it was used to cultivate marijuana and is

therefore forfeitable pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 881(a)(7). 

3. To date claimants have not been charged with any criminal

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offense by state, local, or federal authorities, and the statute of

limitations has not expired on potential criminal charges relating to

the drug trafficking offenses underlying the forfeiture cases. 

Nevertheless, the plaintiff intends to depose claimants regarding their

involvement in marijuana trafficking; their use of drug proceeds to pay

off lines of credit against the property; and the cultivation of

marijuana at the Blizzard Mine Road property. If discovery proceeds at

this time, claimants will be placed in the difficult position of either

invoking their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and

losing the ability to pursue their claims to the defendant real

property, or waiving their Fifth Amendment right and submitting to a

deposition and potentially incriminating themselves. If they invoke

their Fifth Amendment rights, the plaintiff will be deprived of the

ability to explore the factual basis for the claims each filed with

this court. 

4. In addition, claimants intend to depose the law enforcement

officers involved in this investigation. Allowing depositions of the

law enforcement officers at this time would adversely affect the

ability of federal authorities to investigate the underlying criminal

conduct.

 5. The parties recognize that proceeding with this action at

this time has potential adverse affects on the investigation of the

underlying criminal conduct and/or upon claimant's ability to prove his

claim to the property and assert any defenses to forfeiture. For these

reasons, the parties jointly request that this matter be stayed for six

months. At that time the parties will advise the court of the status

of the criminal investigation, if any, and will advise the court

whether a further stay is necessary.

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6. The parties request that the status conference currently

scheduled for March 10, 2008, be vacated and rescheduled to sometime in

September, 2008.

Dated: March 3, 2008 McGREGOR W. SCOTT

United States Attorney

By /s/ Kristin S. Door KRISTIN S. DOOR

Assistant U.S. Attorney

Attorneys for Plaintiff

United States of America

DANIEL J. BRODERICK

Federal Defender

Dated: March 3, 2008 By /s/ Timothy Zindel

TIMOTHY ZINDEL

Assistant Federal Defender

Attorney for claimant

William Pearce

Dated: March 3, 2008 /s/ Krista Hart

KRISTA HART

Attorney for claimant

Kristin Burckard

//

//

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Dated: March 3, 2008 /s/ Scott J. Stilman

SCOTT J. STILMAN

Attorney for claimant

WASHINGTON MUTUAL BANK

O R D E R

For the reasons set forth above, this matter is stayed pursuant to

18 U.S.C. §§ 981(g)(1) and 981(g)(2) for a period of six months. The

status conference scheduled for March 10, 2008 is vacated and is

rescheduled to September 8, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. at which time the

parties will advise the court whether a further stay is necessary. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: March 4, 2008

Case 2:07-cv-02114-WBS -EFB Document 28 Filed 03/05/08 Page 5 of 5