Source: https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/644/500/358759/
Timestamp: 2019-11-12 20:37:07
Document Index: 388570452

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 846', '§ 881', '§ 781', '§ 881', '§ 781', '§ 781', '§ 881', '§ 881', '§ 881']

United States of America, Plaintiff-appellee, v. One 1977 Cadillac Coupe Deville Vin: 6d47s7q234771,defendant-appellant, 644 F.2d 500 (5th Cir. 1977) :: Justia
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United States of America, Plaintiff-appellee, v. One 1977 Cadillac Coupe Deville Vin: 6d47s7q234771,defendant-appellant, 644 F.2d 500 (5th Cir. 1977)
US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit - 644 F.2d 500 (5th Cir. 1977)
Before KRAVITCH and THOMAS A. CLARK, Circuit Judges and LYNNE* , District Judge.
Upon returning at 4:30 p. m., the agent learned from Schore and Andiarena that Hernandez had left to obtain the cocaine. An hour later Hernandez reappeared, driven in Andiarena's car by Winston Russell. Andiarena produced the 779 grams of cocaine. Andiarena, Schore and Hernandez were arrested shortly thereafter. Following Schore's conviction of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846, the government instituted proceedings for forfeiture of her Cadillac pursuant to 21 U.S.C. § 881(a) (4) and 49 U.S.C. § 781.
The district court found that the defendant vehicle, having transported Schore to Andiarena's apartment, enabled her to negotiate and facilitate the sale; hence, it was used in furtherance of a cocaine transaction and was subject to forfeiture under 21 U.S.C. § 881(a) (4).
Proceedings for forfeiture of vehicles used in drug transactions traditionally have been brought under 49 U.S.C. §§ 781-782. Section 781(a) (3) provides:
As a general rule, forfeiture is not favored, and statutes providing for forfeiture are strictly construed. United States v. One 1936 Model Ford Deluxe V-8 Coach, 307 U.S. 219, 226, 59 S. Ct. 861, 864, 83 L. Ed. 1249 (1939). Thus, in cases involving narcotics, courts have interpreted this statute to cover only vehicles which serve as the site of a drug transaction or are used to transport the contraband itself. See Howard v. United States, 423 F.2d 1102 (9th Cir. 1970); Platt v. United States, 163 F.2d 165 (10th Cir. 1947).
Calero-Toledo v. Pearson Yacht Leasing Co., 416 U.S. 663, 686, 94 S. Ct. 2080, 2093, 40 L. Ed. 2d 452 (1974).
Schore argues that Fifth Circuit precedent requires reversal, citing United States v. One 1971 Chevrolet Corvette Automobile, 496 F.2d 210 (5th Cir. 1974). There the owner drove the appellant vehicle several blocks to a relative's apartment where he exchanged it for another car in which he traveled to the site of the drug transaction. In holding that the second vehicle was not subject to forfeiture, we reasoned that the use lacked the necessary nexus with the transaction to bring it within the forfeiture statute. Corvette, however, is not dispositive of this case for two reasons. The use of the vehicle in Corvette was more remote than here where the Cadillac transported both the dealer and courier to the actual site of the transaction. More importantly, however, is the fact that the government in Corvette sought forfeiture under 49 U.S.C. § 781(a) (3) rather than the broader coverage of § 881.
The Second Circuit recently construed § 881 to cover a situation factually similar to the one before us. United States v. One 1974 Cadillac Eldorado Sedan, 548 F.2d 421 (2d Cir. 1977), involved the use of a vehicle to transport a narcotics peddler to the scene of an anticipated sale which was not consummated until a subsequent date. In reversing the district court's denial of the forfeiture, the court reasoned that the earlier meeting was an integral part of the conspiracy; thus, there was a sufficient nexus between the use of the vehicle and the later sale of the controlled substance to constitute facilitation within the meaning of § 881(a) (4).