Opinion ID: 441742
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Civil Enforcement

Text: Subsection 3579(h) provides: 29 An order of restitution may be enforced by United States or a victim named in the order to receive the restitution in the same manner as a judgment in a civil action. 30 The district court did not explain why this procedure for enforcing a restitution order transforms the criminal sentencing hearing into an action at common law. The provision simply makes the civil judgment enforcement mechanism available to the United States or the victim following an order of restitution. 31 In enacting the VWPA, Congress wanted to ensure that victims of crime would be restored to their prior state of well-being. S.Rep. No. 532, 97th Cong., 2d Sess. 30, reprinted in 1982 U.S.Code Cong. & Ad.News 2536. This goal would be accomplished only if victims were assured of recovering the restitution awarded by the court. Aware that restitution awards under the Probation Act, 18 U.S.C. Sec. 3651, were infrequently used and indifferently enforced, Congress enacted subsection 3579(h) to remedy this problem and facilitate the collection process. S.Rep. No. 532, 97th Cong., 2d Sess. 30, reprinted in 1982 U.S.Code Cong. & Ad.News 2536. 32 Civil enforcement of criminal penalties is not a new concept. Section 3565 of Title 18 already gives the United States the right to collect a criminal penalty by execution against the property of the defendant in like manner as judgments in civil cases. Under both section 3565 and subsection 3579(h), the Government may employ the enforcement procedures of Fed.R.Civ.P. 64 and 69(a) to collect criminal penalties. See United States v. Thornton, 672 F.2d 101 (D.C.Cir.1982); S.Rep. No. 532, 97th Cong., 2d Sess. 33, reprinted in 1982 U.S.Code Cong. & Ad.News 2539. The VWPA merely extends this right to the victims themselves. The inclusion of this civil enforcement provision does not transform the restitution order into an action at common law. 9