Court Opinion

ID: 9582571
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:28:53.309322+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:37:59.208247
License: Public Domain

Finney, Justice,
concurring in part and dissenting in part:
I concur in so much of the majority’s opinion as affirms the circuit court finding of no due process violation with regard to the forfeiture. I respectfully dissent from that portion of the majority’s opinion which reverses the circuit court’s holding that the forfeiture constitutes a taking without just compensation, in contravention of the South Carolina Constitution, Article I, Section 13.
The majority’s finding that the forfeiture in this case is within the legitimate exercise of the state’s police power is contradicted by the facts.
Seizure of the subject property was predicated upon affidavits of Duane R. Peake, a Lexington County Sheriff Department narcotics investigator. The affiant made bare assertions without purporting to base his allegations upon personal *238knowledge and without giving the source of critical information or the basis of his belief.
In addition to broad assertions that undercover agents could go to the defendant premises and purchase drugs with the apparent consent and/or participation of various residents, that stolen goods and other property were being traded for drugs, that known crack dealers and users were observed continually entering and exiting the premises, and that numerous drug purchases were made from the defendant properties, the following are specific allegations in the five consolidated cases:
I. 1518 Holmes Street — Sam Johnson, record owner
1. August 5, 1989: An expected vehicle arrives at address, is searched and crack seized from vehicle.
2. November, 1989: Attack occurred in the Holmes Street area directly in front of residence — victim shot and killed.
Ride-by shooting within curtilage of 1518 Holmes Street by unknown assailant.
3. December 6, 1989: Undercover agent met with persons identified as Berry Bigsby and Shirley Clarkson in front of residence at 1518 Holmes Street to arrange a drug purchase in the area. That same date the agent purchased drugs from an unknown subject at a residence in the area. As a result, Bigsby and Clarkson were charged ■with conspiracy to distribute crack.
4. December 26, 1989: Undercover agent purchased crack at 1518 Holmes Street from subject identified as Masy Joe.
5. December 27, 1989: Undercover agent purchased crack for $40 at 1518 Holmes Street from subject identified as Roscoe Emmanuel Johnson.
During a subsequent enforcement sweep of the area, Johnson was arrested inside the residence, which he named as his address. Also arrested at the address was Donald Riley on charges of distribution of crack.
II. 1520 Holmes Street — Rebecca Johnson, record owner
1. December 18, 1989: Undercover agent purchased crack for $40 at residence from person identified as Ernest Goldston.
*2392. January 5, 1990: Search warrant executed at residence, several persons ran from residence. Suspect identified as Henry Burgess arrested on drug charges.
3. February 1,1990: Undercover agent purchased crack for $40 from person at residence identified as Ernest Goldston.
III. 1522 Holmes Street — Rebecca Johnson, record owner
1. December 4, 1989: Undercover agent purchased crack for $30 from suspect identified as Candy Davis.
2. December 19, 1989: Undercover agent purchased crack for $50 at residence from person identified as Henry Burgess.
3. January 5, 1990: Premises searched and paraphernalia used to cook crack with traces of cocaine found in residence.
4. February 7, 1990: Undercover agent purchased drugs for $40 at residence from suspect identified as Glenn Dennis.
5. February 13, 1990: Premises searched and marijuana and cocaine found.

IV. (A) Lot #1, Plat Book 112-G, Page 281, Behind 1520 Holmes St.; (B) 1528 Holmes St., Lots 2 and 2B, Tax Map No. 001611-03-030 and 001611-03-029; Julius Livingston, record owner

1. December 1, 1989: Undercover agent purchased crack for $40 at residence designated on Tax Map as #004644-03-030 from unknown subject.
2. December 12 and 14,1989: Undercover agent purchased crack for $40 from subject identified as Deon Livingston at property designated on Tax Map as #004644-03-029.
3. January 5, 1990: Search warrant executed at premises and subject identified as Randy Ethridge arrested and charged with drug offense.
V. Lots Nos. 3 and 3B — Samuel Johnson and Rebecca S. Johnson, record owners
1. December 5, 1989: Undercover agent purchased crack for $40 at premises from subject identified as Ernest Goldston.
*240According to the record, in only a single instance does an arrested suspect give one of the subject premises as his address. The same named persons are shown as having committed offenses or being arrested at more than one address within the area. A “ride-by” shooting into the curtilage of one site originated from the public street. Some incidents occur outside, in front of or in the area of the subject property. Except as to proximity and the one individual whose address is given as one of the residences, there is no allegation connecting the offenders to the subject property and the owners thereof.
It is my view that each of the cases relied upon by the majority is readily distinguishable from the present case. None support the seizure of real property without notice to the innocent owners and opportunity for such owners to be heard when they have not been accused, charged, indicted or convicted of any criminal offense in connection with the seizure.
It is worthy of note that in the record before this court, the only mention of names of the property owners is in the description of real property seized. I find no allegations whatsoever of illicit or illegal behavior by the property owners; nor is there any indication that the owners were aware of or warned about any illegal activity on the premises.
It is apparent that the virtually identical affidavits, as proof, are flawed in that they are based solely upon hearsay. Moreover, the various allegations concern drug trafficking and other criminal behavior in and around the general Happy Town area. The affiant admitted he made no personal observations of the alleged activities. Affiant stated he was well known in the location and would have gotten “burned” if he had attempted to work undercover in the area.
No citizen should be deprived of his real property without compensation on the basis of a perfunctory affidavit or put to the expense and rigors of defending against unconstitutional seizure by the state on the basis of faulty proof. I believe the trial judge properly gave credence to the state’s motivation for seizing respondents’ property when he said in his October 9,1990, order:
Defendants have not been charged or convicted of any crime. The State’s position regarding forfeiture is that *241the area in which defendants’ property is located in an area of high drug use, drug transactions, and general unlawfulness. The State seeks to “clean up” the area, known as “Happytown,” by seizing property within the area and forcing a disbanding of the persons who engage in the drug-related and unlawful behavior.
Our state constitution requires strict observance of safeguards to insure that the rights of citizens are not sacrificed to expediency or in pursuit of goals even so noble as ridding our neighborhoods and communities of crime and its perpetrators. “While the legislature has ability to exercise police power for protection of residents, that power cannot be wielded in arbitrary fashion” or to arbitrarily violate constitutional guarantees. Dunn v. North Carolina National Bank, 276 S.C. 202, 277 S.E. (2d) 143 (1981). (Emphasis added.)
When scrutinized under the requirements of S.C. Const. Art. I, § 13, the proof fails with regard to rendering the property in question subject to forfeiture under the police power of the state.
I would affirm the circuit court’s holding that in this instance, the forfeiture constituted a taking of real property without just compensation and is, therefore, invalid.