Opinion ID: 627803
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Forfeiture Statute

Text: 14 21 U.S.C. Sec. 881 provides for forfeiture of property used to facilitate illegal acts. Section 881(a)(7) deals specifically with the forfeiture of real property. Such property shall be subject to forfeiture if it, 15 is used, or intended to be used, in any manner or part, to commit, or to facilitate the commission of, a violation of this title punishable by more than one year's imprisonment, except that no property shall be forfeited under this paragraph, to the extent of an interest of an owner, by reason of any act or omission established by that owner to have been committed or omitted without the knowledge or consent of that owner. 16 The structure of a section 881 forfeiture proceeding is well settled by statute and case law. Specifically, forfeiture actions under section 881 are governed by the procedures found in 19 U.S.C. Sec. 1615. The government has the initial burden of showing probable cause to institute the forfeiture action. 19 U.S.C. Sec. 1615; United States v. Twenty-Two Thousand, Two Hundred Eighty Seven Dollars ($22,287.00), United States Currency, 709 F.2d 442, 446 (6th Cir.1983). The trial court bears the responsibility for determining whether the government has proven probable cause. 19 U.S.C. Sec. 1615. The government must convince the judge that it had a reasonable ground for belief of guilt, supported by less than prima facie proof but more than mere suspicion. $22,287.00, United States Currency, 709 F.2d at 446 (quoting United States v. One 1978 Chevrolet Impala, 614 F.2d 983, 984 (5th Cir.1980)). Once probable cause is established, the burden then shifts to the claimant to show by a preponderance of the evidence a defense to the forfeiture. Id. It is a statutory requirement that the claimant, and not the government, bear the burden of proving an innocent owner defense. 19 U.S.C. Sec. 1615. The question of whether a claimant has sufficiently established an innocent owner defense is a question of fact to be determined by the fact finder, in this case the District Court. United States v. One Parcel of Real Estate at 1210 Germantown Road, 963 F.2d 1496, 1501 (11th Cir.1992); United States v. Real Property Located at Section 18, 976 F.2d 515, 520 (9th Cir.1992) (Findings of fact of the district court in forfeiture cases tried to the court must be affirmed unless clearly erroneous.); United States v. One 1963 Cadillac Convertible Coupe, 352 F.2d 338 (6th Cir.1965) (recognizing that forfeiture actions are subject to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and therefore the district judge's findings of fact may not be set aside unless clearly erroneous).