Court Opinion

ID: 9480333
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 07:45:01.917361+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:47:37.235544
License: Public Domain

FLAUM, Circuit Judge,
concurring.
I concur in the judgment of the Court that Born’s property was used “in any manner or part to commit or to facilitate” a drug transaction. I write separately to express my view that while the dictates of 21 U.S.C. § 881(a)(7) were minimally satisfied under the facts of this ease, there might be situations where the application of the broadly-written provision would raise eighth amendment concerns. Although the “substantial connection” test advanced by the claimant invites courts to engraft a somewhat appealing and equitable gloss on the statute, the basis for such interpretation was not supplied by Congress. As the majority has properly noted, any such reading of the statute can only be the result of further congressional action, not judicial fiat.