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Page Number: 6

6 

LEONARD v. TEXAS 

Statement of THOMAS, J. 

ted  forfeiture  actions  to  proceed  civilly  in  all  respects. 
Some  of  this  Court’s  early  cases  suggested  that  forfeiture
actions  were  in  the  nature  of  criminal  proceedings.  See, 
e.g., Boyd v. United States, 116 U. S. 616, 633–634 (1886) 
(“We  are  . . .  clearly  of  [the]  opinion  that  proceedings 
instituted  for  the  purpose  of  declaring  the  forfeiture  of  a 
man’s  property  by  reason  of  offenses  committed  by  him,
though they may be civil in form, are in their nature crim-
inal”); but see R. Waples, Treatise on Proceedings In Rem 
29–30  (1882)  (collecting  contrary  authorities).    Whether 
forfeiture  is  characterized  as  civil  or  criminal  carries 
important  implications  for  a  variety  of  procedural  protec-
tions,  including  the  right  to  a  jury  trial  and  the  proper
standard of proof.  Indeed, as relevant in this case, there is 
some  evidence  that  the  government  was  historically  re-
quired  to  prove  its  case  beyond  a  reasonable  doubt.    See 
United States v. Brig Burdett, 9 Pet. 682, 690 (1835) (“The
object of the prosecution against the Burdett is to enforce 
a forfeiture of the vessel, and all that pertains to it, for a
violation  of  a  revenue  law.    This  prosecution  then  is  a 
highly  penal  one,  and  the  penalty  should  not be  inflicted, 
unless  the  infractions  of  the  law  shall  be  established  be-
yond reasonable doubt”). 

IV 
Unfortunately,  petitioner  raises  her  due  process  argu-
ments  for  the  first  time  in  this  Court.    As  a  result,  the 
Texas Court of Appeals lacked the opportunity to address 
them in the first instance.  I therefore concur in the denial 
of certiorari.  Whether this Court’s treatment of the broad 
modern  forfeiture  practice  can  be  justified  by  the  narrow 
historical  one  is  certainly  worthy  of  consideration  in
greater detail.