Court Opinion

ID: 8635386
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-11-24 19:44:20.216053+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:55:54.577585
License: Public Domain

BLATCHFORD, District Judge.
The report of the commissioner proceeds upon an erroneous view of the statute. The informer’s share is not given to the person who first gives information on which property is seized, but to the person who first informs of the cause, matter or thing whereby the forfeiture was incurred. In most cases, the distinction is unimportant and does not arise. The property is generally seized, libelled and condemned for the cause of forfeiture pointed out by the information furnished by the informer before the seizure. But this case illustrates the distinction between information given on which property is seized, and information given as to the matter whereby the forfeiture was incurred. And the distinction is a very proper and sound one. In this case, information as to specific frauds was furnished with considerable detail in the first affidavit of Trumble. On that information the property was seized and the libel was filed. But the only conclusion that can be arrived at from the evidence is, that if Richards had not investigated the case and examined the premises, the government would never have obtained a condemnation of the property. The information furnished by Trumble was utterly worthless to the government, as information of any cause whereby a forfeiture of the property had been incurred. The property, it is true, was seized and libelled on that information, on the assumption that it was true, but, as it must be held, on the evidence, to have been false, the seizure and libelling stand as having been made on no information whatever from Glarke. The government received, from what was communicated to it by Clarke, no information which was of the least benefit to it, as to the existence of any cause for which it could enforce, by condemnation of the property, any forfeiture that had been incurred. The statute intends that the re*714ward shall be given to the person who gives information of the cause for which the government can condemn the property. The condemnation is what the government alms at. It is not its policy to seize property and file a libel on false information given by one person, and afterwards condemn it wholly on true information given by another person, and then bestow the informer’s reward wholly upon the former. That is this case, if, on the evidence, Clarke is to be adjudged the informer. Such is not the law. No forfeiture of anything was incurred on account of any cause, matter or thing contained in Trumble’s first affidavit, and for the very good reason that no cause, matter or thing contained therein had any existence in fact. The error of the commissioner consists in holding that, as Clarke furnished information on which the property was seized and libelled, a right vested in him as informer ;• and that, as Richards only furnished evidence which justified a condemnation of the property, he is not entitled to be adjudged the informer. It is because Richards, in this case, furnished the information which justified the condemnation that, he was the informer; and it is because Clarke furnished no information which justified a condemnation that he was not the informer. If Clarke had furnished information of any fact which was true as a cause of condemnation for a forfeiture incurred, the case might have been different
The exception taken by Richards to the report of the commissioner must, therefore, be allowed. If, however, any party interested shall desire to put in further testimony on the subject, or to further examine or cross-examine any of the witnesses already examined, an order may be entered referring the matter back to the commissioner for that purpose.
I have considered the question wholly as one between Clarke and Richards, inasmuch as Richards alone excepts to the report; but, in view of the fact that there may be further testimony and another report, it is proper to say, that, irrespective of the claim of Richards, and as between Clarke and Trum-ble, on the version of the affair given by Clarke himself, it is difficult to see why Trumble would not be entitled to be adjudged the informer. When Clarke first called on the district attorney, he named no place, and, therefore, gave no information, in the sense of the statute. When he came the second time, all that he testifies to having done was to hand the district attorney Trumble’s affidavit. On this state of facts, if the affidavit contained a true statement of any cause for which a forfeiture of the property had been incurred, Trumble was the first person who informed the government authorities of such cause.