Court Opinion

ID: 9486623
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 11:54:36.541441+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:51:50.338285
License: Public Domain

JOHN R. GIBSON, Senior Circuit Judge,
concurring in part and dissenting in part.
I agree with the court that the preponderance of evidence standard is proper in criminal forfeiture cases and that a proportionality analysis must be made. The district court understandably did not make such an analysis, as Alexander v. United States, — U.S. -, 113 S.Ct. 2766, 125 L.Ed.2d 441.(1993), and Austin v. United States, — U.S. -, 113 S.Ct. 2801, 125 L.Ed.2d 488 (1993), were not decided at the time of the district court’s forfeiture decision. I respectfully dissent, however, on what constitutes “property” and the extent of forfeiture appropriate in this case. The court errs in looking only to the document conveying title to determine “property” for the purpose of forfeiture.
The court adopts the Sixth Circuit’s rule in Smith that a court should look at the instrument or' documents creating the property interest to determine whether the property is a single unit or divisible. See 966 F.2d 1045, 1053 (6th Cir.1992). Smith is much different than the case before us today. The Smiths initially acquired the land through four separate conveyances. Id. at 1054. Upon the Smith’s divorce, the wife conveyed her interest in the four tracts to her husband by a single quit claim deed. Id. The court found that the transfer by quit claim deed did not create Mr. Smith’s interest, but rather that he obtained the property through four separate deeds. Id. The district court then ordered only one tract forfeited. Id. at 1055-56.
Although the Bieris acquired all four tracts to their farm through a single general warranty deed, the deed described the four tracts separately, as tract one, tract two, tract three and tract four. Tracts two, three and four are located and taxed in Taney County, Missouri, and tract one is located and taxed in Ozark County, Missouri. In Missouri, land must be recorded in the real estate records of the county where it is located. See Mo.Rev.Stat. § 59.400 (1986 & Supp. 1993). Further, real property is taxed by the county of its situs. See Mo.Rev.Stat. § 137.-010-137.960 (1986 & Supp.1993) (Assessment and Levy of Property Taxes). In this case we should not look only to the deed or conveyance to determine whether the Bieris’ farm, consisting of four tracts, is a single piece of property for forfeiture purposes. The question of whether the tracts are divisible for purposes of forfeiture is a factual issue, and indeed is intertwined with the proportionality issue.
I believe we should remand to the district court to consider several factual issues before ordering forfeiture. First, the district court should determine whether the entire farm, certain tracts' or only portions of certain tracts were “used, or intended to be used, in any manner or part, to commit, or facilitate the commission of’ the drug trafficking. See 21 U.S.C. § 853. Although the record contains findings of fact by the district court that the farm was used to facilitate the drug *826trafficking, the court at sentencing ruled only that tract four be forfeited. I believe specific facts must be developed to demonstrate the extent of use of each of the tracts in the drug operation. The record is lacking in factual findings regarding which tract or tracts facilitated the drug trafficking.
For example, the record shows that Ruiz delivered marijuana to the house and that drugs were stored in the barn. Both the house and barn are located on tract four. The government introduced evidence that it was necessary to drive over other tracts to reach the house. In Smith, the court held that real property used to conceal the commission of an offense created a sufficient nexus to find that it facilitated the drug trafficking. 966 F.2d at 1065-56. Here, the district court should consider whether the other tracts concealed or in any other way facilitated the Bieris’ drug trafficking operation, and make detailed findings of fact in determining which tracts should be forfeited.
I would reverse the order of forfeiture and remand to the district court with instructions to make additional findings of fact and to enter an order of forfeiture for the tract or tracts of the Bieris’ farm that facilitated their drug trafficking.