2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 45. Crimes › Chapter 6. Offenses Against Property › Part 3. Theft and Related Offenses › 45-6-328. Forfeiture for theft of commonly domesticated hoofed animal or illegal branding or altering or obscuring of brand

45-6-328. Forfeiture for theft of commonly domesticated hoofed animal or illegal branding or altering or obscuring of brand.
(1) The following property is subject to criminal forfeiture under this section:
(a) money, raw materials, products, equipment, and other property of any kind that is used or intended for use in the theft of a commonly domesticated hoofed animal or illegal branding or altering or obscuring a brand in violation of 45-6-301 or 45-6-327;
(b) property used or intended for use as a container for property enumerated in subsection (1)(a);
(c) except as provided in subsection (2), a conveyance, including an aircraft, vehicle, or vessel, used or intended for use to facilitate the theft of a commonly domesticated hoofed animal or illegal branding or altering or obscuring a brand in violation of 45-6-301 or 45-6-327;
(d) books, records, research products and materials, formulas, microfilm, tapes, and data used or intended for use in connection with the theft of a commonly domesticated hoofed animal or illegal branding or altering or obscuring a brand in violation of 45-6-301 or 45-6-327;
(e) everything of value furnished or intended to be furnished in exchange for a commonly domesticated hoofed animal in violation of 45-6-301 or 45-6-327 and all proceeds traceable to the exchange;
(f) money, negotiable instruments, securities, and weapons used or intended to be used to facilitate a violation of 45-6-301 or 45-6-327; and
(g) personal property constituting or derived from proceeds obtained directly or indirectly from theft of a commonly domesticated hoofed animal or from illegal branding or altering or obscuring a brand in violation of 45-6-301 or 45-6-327.
(2) A conveyance is not subject to criminal forfeiture under this section unless the owner or other person in charge of the conveyance knowingly used the conveyance or knowingly consented to its use for the purpose of theft of a commonly domesticated hoofed animal or illegal branding or altering or obscuring a brand in violation of 45-6-301 or 45-6-327.
(3) Property subject to criminal forfeiture under this section may be seized under the following circumstances:
(a) A peace officer who has probable cause to make an arrest for the theft of a commonly domesticated hoofed animal or for illegal branding or altering or obscuring a brand in violation of 45-6-301 or 45-6-327 may seize a conveyance obtained with proceeds derived from the violation or used to facilitate the violation and shall immediately deliver the conveyance to the peace officer's law enforcement agency to be held as evidence until a criminal forfeiture is declared or a release is ordered.
(b) Property subject to criminal forfeiture under this section may be seized by a peace officer under a search warrant issued by a court having jurisdiction over the property.
(c) Seizure without a warrant may be made if:
(i) the seizure is incident to an arrest or a search under a search warrant issued for another purpose or an inspection under an administrative inspection warrant;
(ii) the property was the subject of a prior judgment in favor of the state in a criminal proceeding or a criminal forfeiture proceeding based on Title 44, chapter 12, or this section;
(iii) a peace officer has probable cause to believe that the property is directly or indirectly dangerous to health or safety; or
(iv) a peace officer has probable cause to believe that the property was used or is intended to be used during the theft of a commonly domesticated hoofed animal or illegal branding or altering or obscuring a brand in violation of 45-6-301 or 45-6-327.
(4) A forfeiture proceeding under subsection (1) must be commenced within 45 days of the seizure of the property involved.
(5) The procedure for forfeiture proceedings in 44-12-207 through 44-12-211 applies to property seized pursuant to this section.
(6) Upon conviction, the property subject to criminal forfeiture is forfeited to the state and must be disposed of in accordance with the provisions of 45-6-329.
History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 400, L. 2009; amd. Sec. 10, Ch. 421, L. 2015.