FI L ED

U.S. COURT OF APPEAL S

EL EVENTH CI RCUI T

J UL Y 21, 2009

THOMAS K. KAH

N

CL ERK [ D O N O T P U B L I S H ]

I N T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S C O U R T O F A P P E A L S

F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C I R C U I T

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v e r s u s

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_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

A p p e a l f r o m 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

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

( J u l y 2 1

, 2 0 0 9 )

B e f o r e T J O F L A T

, C A R N E S a n d W I L S O N

, C i r c u i t J u d g e s

.P E R C U R I A M :

T h i s i s a c i v i l f

o r f e i t u r e a c t i o n i n w h i c h t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s s e e k s t h e f o r f e i t u r e

o f $ 1 2

, 1 2 6 i n c u r r e n c y

, r e p r e s e n t i n g p r o c e e d s d e r i v e d f r o m a p p e l l a n t ’ s c o c a i n e

t r a f f i c k i n g

. O n M a r c h 3

, 2 0 0 8

, a p p e l l a n t l e a r n e d o f t h i s a c t i o n i n t h e f o r m o f a 1

n o t i c e f r o m t h e G o v e r n m e n t

, w h i c h i t m a i l e d t o h i m o n F e b r u a r y 2 7

, 2 0 0 8

. T h e

n o t i c e i n f

o r m e d a p p e l l a n t

, i n c o n f o r m a n c e w i t h 1 8 U

. S

. C

. § 9 8 3 ( a ) ( 2 ) ( B )

, t h a t h e

h a d 3 5 d a y s f

r o m t h e d a t e t h e n o t i c e w a s m a i l e d t o f i l e a c l a i m t o t h e c u r r e n c y

, 2

v e r i f i e d a s r e q u i r e d b y R u l e G ( 5 ) ( b ) o f t h e S u p p l e m e n t a l R u l e s f o r A d m i r a l t y o r

M a r i t i m e C l a i m s a n d A s s e t F o r f e i t u r e A c t i o n s ( S u p p l e m e n t a l R u l e s )

, a n d t h a t i f h e

f i l e d a c l a i m

, h e h a d 2 0 d a y s a f t e r d o i n g s o t o f

i l e a n a n s w e r t o t h e c o m p l a i n t

.

A p p e l l a n t r e s p o n d e d t o t h e n o t i c e

, w h i c h t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t ’ s c l e r k d o c k e t e d

o n A p r i l 1 6

, 2 0 0 8

, a n d c l a i m e d a n i n t e r e s t i n t h e c u r r e n c y a t i s s u e ; o n A u g u s t 1 1

,

t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t i s s u e d a n o t i c e d e e m i n g t h e r e s p o n s e a “ c l a i m

. ”

O n A u g u s t 1 8

, t h e G o v e r n m e n t i n f o r m e d a p p e l l a n t t h a t h e l a c k e d s t a t u t o r y

s t a n d i n g t o c o n t e s t t h e f o r f e i t u r e b e c a u s e h e h a d n o t f i l e d h i s c l a i m w i t h i n 3 5 d a y s

o f F e b r u a r y 2 7 ; n o r h a d h e v e r i f i e d t h e c l a i m

, a s r e q u i r e d b y R u l e G ( 5 )

. A p p e l l a n t

,

Appellant had ple d g uilty in the Norther

n District of Alaba

ma to possession of coc aine 1

with intent to dis tribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a) (1), a nd had bee n sentenc ed to prison

for a term of 57 months.

Section 983(a) (2)( B) states that “[a] claim . . . may be filed not late r than the de adline 2

set forth in a pe rsonal notice le tter (whic h deadline ma y be not ea rlier than 35 da

y s after the date

of the letter

is mailed). . . .”

2i n t u r n

, r e s p o n d e d b y l e t t e r d a t e d A u g u s t 2 5

, a g a i n c l a i m i n g t h e c u r r e n c y

, b u t h e

d i d n o t a n s w e r t h e c o m p l a i n t

. T h e G o v e r n m e n t t h e r e f o r e m o v e d t o s t r i k e

a p p e l l a n t ’ s c l a i m

, a n d t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t o r d e r e d a p p e l l a n t t o r e s p o n d t o t h e

G o v e r n m e n t ’ s m o t i o n b y O c t o b e r 1 0

.

A p p e l l a n t f

a i l e d t o r e s p o n d

, s o

, o n O c t o b e r 1 7

, t h e c o u r t g r a n t e d t h e

G o v e r n m e n t ’ s m o t i o n t o s t r i k e

. H o w e v e r

, a p p e l l a n t h a d m a i l e d a r e s p o n s e o n

O c t o b e r 9

, a n d t h e c l e r k d o c k e t e d i t l a t e r i n t h e d a y o f O c t o b e r 1 7

. T h e c o u r t

t h e r e f o r e d e e m e d t h e r e s p o n s e a m o t i o n f o r r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n

, a n d c o n c l u d i n g t h a t

a p p e l l a n t h a d n o t c o m p l i e d w i t h 1 8 U

. S

. C

. § 9 8 3 ( a ) ( 4 ) ( A ) o r R u l e G ( 5 ) ( b )

, d e n i e d

t h e m o t i o n

. A p p e l l a n t n o w a p p e a l s t h e c o u r t ’ s d e c i s i o n

, a r g u i n g t h a t h e c o m p l i e d

w i t h t h e f

i l i n g r u l e s

.

S e c t i o n 9 8 3 ( a ) ( 4 ) a n d t h e S u p p l e m e n t a l R u l e s f o r A d m i r a l t y o r M a r i t i m e

C l a i m s a n d A s s e t F o r f

e i t u r e ( “ S u p p l e m e n t a l R u l e s ” ) g o v e r n c i v i l f o r f e i t u r e a c t i o n s

a n d e s t a b l i s h t h e s t a t u t o r y s t a n d i n g r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r c o n t e s t i n g f

o r f e i t u r e

. S e e 1 8

U

. S

. C

. § 9 8 3 ; R u l e G ( 1 ) o f t h e S u p p l e m e n t a l R u l e s ; U n i t e d S t a t e s v

. $ 3 8

, 0 0 0

. 0 0

D o l l a r s i n U

. S

. C u r r e n c y

, 8 1 6 F

. 2 d 1 5 3 8

, 1 5 4 4

- 4 5 ( 1 1 t h C i r

. 1 9 8 7 )

. U n d e r R u l e

G ( 5 ) o f t h e S u p p l e m e n t a l R u l e s

, c l a i m a n t s a r e r e q u i r e d t o f i l e b o t h a v e r i f

i e d c l a i m

a s s e r t i n g t h e i r i n t e r e s t i n t h e s e i z e d p r o p e r t y a n d a n a n s w e r t o t h e g o v e r n m e n t ’ s 3

Rule G(5)( a)( C) require s that a cla im “must . . . be signe d by the claimant unde r 3

penalty of per jury .”

3f

o r f e i t u r e c o m p l a i n t

. T o b e t i m e l y

, t h e a n s w e r t o t h e c o m p l a i n t m u s t b e f i l e d

“ w i t h i n 2 0 d a y s a f

t e r f i l i n g t h e c l a i m

. ” A l t h o u g h a d i s t r i c t c o u r t h a s d i s c r e t i o n t o 4

e x t e n d t h e f

i l i n g p e r i o d

, i t m a y a l s o i n s i s t o n s t r i c t c o m p l i a n c e w i t h t h e

S u p p l e m e n t a l R u l e s

. $ 1 2 5

, 9 3 8

. 6 2

, 3 7 0 F

. 3 d a t 1 3 2 8

- 2 9 ; s e e $ 3 8

, 0 0 0

. 0 0 D o l l a r s i n

U

. S

. C u r r e n c y

, 8 1 6 F

. 2 d a t 1 5 4 7 ( n o t i n g t h a t c o u r t s c o n s i s t e n t l y r e q u i r e c l a i m a n t s

t o s t r i c t l y c o m p l y w i t h t h e S u p p l e m e n t a l R u l e s )

.

W e h a v e e m p h a s i z e d t h a t c l a i m a n t s m u s t s t r i c t l y a d h e r e t o t h e p r o c e d u r a l

r e q u i r e m e n t s o f t h e S u p p l e m e n t a l R u l e s t o a c h i e v e s t a t u t o r y s t a n d i n g t o c o n t e s t a

f o r f e i t u r e a c t i o n

. S e e $ 3 8

, 0 0 0

. 0 0 D o l l a r s i n U

. S

. C u r r e n c y

, 8 1 6 F

. 2 d a t 1 5 4 5 ;

$ 1 2 5

, 9 3 8

. 6 2

, 3 7 0 F

. 3 d a t 1 3 2 8

. M o r e o v e r

, u n d e r t h e S u p p l e m e n t a l R u l e s

, t h e

g o v e r n m e n t m a y m o v e t o s t r i k e a f o r f e i t u r e c l a i m a t a n y t i m e b e f o r e t r i a l f o r

f a i l u r e t o c o m p l y w i t h R u l e G ( 5 ) o r f o r l a c k o f s t a n d i n g

. R u l e G ( 8 ) ( c ) o f t h e

S u p p l e m e n t a l R u l e s

.

B e c a u s e a p p e l l a n t f

a i l e d t i m e l y t o f

i l e a n a n s w e r t o t h e G o v e r n m e n t ’ s

c o m p l a i n t

, t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t d i d n o t a b u s e i t s d i s c r e t i o n i n s t r i k i n g h i s c l a i m a n d

s u b s e q u e n t l y d e n y i n g h i s m o t i o n f o r r e c o n s i d e r a t i o n

. T h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t w a s

Rule G(5)( b) states that “ [a] claimant must serve and file a n answe r to the complaint or 4

a motion under Rule 12 within 20 day s after filing the claim.” See 18 U.S.C. § 983(a) (4)( B) to

the same e ffe ct: “[a] person claiming an intere st in seiz ed prope rty . . . shall file an a

nswer to the

Gover nment’s complaint for f

orfe iture not later tha

n 20 day s after

the date of

the filing of the

claim.”

4e n t i t l e d t o i n s i s t u p o n s t r i c t c o m p l i a n c e w i t h t h e p r o c e d u r a l r e q u i r e m e n t s s e t f o r t h

i n R u l e G ( 5 ) a n d

, t h u s

, t o s t r i k e a p p e l l a n t ’ s c l a i m f o r l a c k o f s t a t u t o r y s t a n d i n g t o

c o n t e s t t h e f

o r f e i t u r e

.

A F F I R M E D

.

5