Opinion ID: 6971602
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Probable Cause for Seizure

Text: Federal law requires forfeiture of real property used in connection with certain felony drug violations. See 21 U.S.C. § 881(a)(7). The law provides as follows: All real property, including any right, title, and interest (including any leasehold interest) in the whole of any lot or tract of land and any appurtenances or improvements, which is used, or intended to be used, in any manner or part, to commit, or to facilitate the commission of, a violation of this subchapter 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. To support a seizure, the government has the burden of showing probable cause that there was a connection between the defendant property and drug activity. See, e.g., United States v. Premises Known as 526 Liscum Drive, 866 F.2d 213, 216 (6th Cir.1989). Claimant asserts that absent the evidence that was allegedly unlawfully obtained pursuant to the search warrant, there would be no probable cause for seizure. The magistrate judge refused to consider the lawfulness of the search warrant on the grounds of collateral estoppel. We review de novo the applicability of collateral estoppel. See, e.g., United States v. Sandoz Pharmaceuticals Corp., 894 F.2d 825, 826 (6th Cir.1990). The doctrine of collateral estoppel applies if the following requirements are met: (1) the issue in the prior proceeding must have been identical to the issue asserted in the current matter; (2) the issue must have been actually litigated; and (3) it must have been necessary and essential to the judgment on the merits. See United States v. Three Tracts of Property Located on Beaver Creek, 994 F.2d 287, 290 (6th Cir.1993). A fourth requirement, that the party against whom estoppel is sought must have had a full and fair opportunity to litigate the issue in the prior proceedings, see, e.g., NAACP v. Detroit Police Officers Ass’n., 821 F.2d 328, 330 (6th Cir.1987), was implicit in our analysis in Beaver Creek,. 2 In that case, we held that the claimant was collaterally estopped from asserting lack of knowledge of criminal use of the property as a defense to forfeiture in light of the claimant’s prior criminal conviction for charges relating to marijuana, including manufacturing. We reasoned that the jury must have found that the claimant knew of the criminal use of the property to convict the claimant. Similarly, we conclude Lyles is collaterally estopped from asserting the unlawfulness of the search warrant in this matter in light of his guilty plea. Claimant argues that this court “has the ability” to review the constitutionality of a state search and should not “hide behind the shroud of collateral estoppel.” In support he cites to federal prosecutions in which the courts have conducted independent reviews of state suppression rulings. See, e.g., Elkins v. United States, 364 U.S. 206, 224, 80 S.Ct. 1437, 4 L.Ed.2d 1669 (1960) (state finding of constitutionality of state search is not binding on federal court in criminal prosecution). No criminal prosecution occurred in this case, however, and therefore claimant’s authority is inapposite. Even if we were to find that the search was unlawful based on an inadequate affidavit, that would not eliminate a finding that probable cause existed sufficient to support a finding of a connection between the defendant property and claimant’s drug activity. Lyles does not address the government’s argument that his guilty plea is sufficient to establish probable cause to support forfeiture. We agree that this basis alone creates probable cause. At the hearing at which his guilty plea was accepted, Lyles affirmatively acknowledged that his plea of guilty to trafficking in drugs was a “complete admission of guiltf’ and a “waiver of any and all constitutional, statutory and factual defenses” to the charge admitted. He was aware of the forfeiture action, nevertheless he pleaded guilty to the offense, which subjected him to a potential sentence of “up to a year and a half in the penitentiary,” satisfying the requirement under 21 U.S.C. § 881(a)(7) that violations be “punishable by more than one year’s imprisonment.” He also admitted that the facts underlying the offense involved the cultivation of marijuana at his residence.