Court Opinion

ID: 9483873
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 09:33:48.136811+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:49:53.067491
License: Public Domain

WELLFORD, Senior Circuit Judge,
dissenting.
The facts in this case are comparable to those in a recent civil forfeiture action which came before us for decision earlier this year. See United States v. $67,220 in U.S. Currency, 957 F.2d 280 (6th Cir.1992). Both cases involve an airport seizure of a large quantity of money possessed by a person observed by law enforcement agents. Robert Easterly, Jr. was observed with a bundle of “money protruding from one of [his] pockets and bulges in several other pockets.” Id. at 282. Easterly gave his correct identification as he was about to board a flight, showed a ticket issued to him, and allowed the search of his camera bag. No drugs or drug activity was apparent. Upon a consensual search of his person, officers located five bundles of large denomination bills. Easterly told the officers that he had “about five thousand dollars.” Id. at 282. The officers called to have Easterly’s suitcase pulled off the plane, which he was about to board when they approached him, and they called for “a drug-sniffing dog.” Easterly then responded to further questions, indicating he was carrying about $20,000 to buy jewelry at his intended destination. Id.
The officers then searched Easterly again and located more cash in his waistband — altogether, a total of $67,220. Nothing unusual was found in the suitcase, but the officers retained the $67,220. The officers told Easterly he was free to leave without his money. The dog handler indicated the dog, after sniffing, reacted positively with regard to the money, the camera bag and the suitcase. Easterly opposed the government’s civil forfeiture action and claimed ownership. At the hearing, there was evidence confirming that Easterly had sold jewelry on a commission basis and that there was a “well-known jewelry flea market” in Easterly’s destination area. Id. at 283. Easterly claimed at the forfeiture hearing that he had borrowed most of the money to “set up his own business,” and provided purported names of the lenders. The district court then ordered the money returned. Id. We reversed the grant of summary judgment to Easterly, holding that “the government’s evidence was sufficient to survive Easterly’s motion for summary judgment” based upon assessment of probable cause “at the time of the forfeiture hearing.” Id. at 284.
Important to the determination in the Easterly appeal was a view of all the evidence at the time of seizure and at the time of the hearing in a light most favorable to the government, the non-movant. We stated that “carrying a large sum of cash is strong evidence of some relationship with illegal drugs,” and that “positive dog reaction is at least strong evidence of a connection to drugs” (despite “no indication in the record as to the trustworthiness of the dog” which substantially weakened this in*252dication). Id. at 285. Relying upon similar facts and the holding in United States v. $215,300 in U.S. Currency, 882 F.2d 417 (9th Cir.1989), cert. denied, 497 U.S. 1005, 110 S.Ct. 3242, 111 L.Ed.2d 752 (1990), this court reversed the grant of summary judgment because Easterly failed to carry his summary judgment burden of showing “innocent ownership.” Id. at 287. The case was remanded for trial because of the important factual considerations.
$67,220 in U.S. Currency was decided after the district court granted summary judgment to the claimant. I would remand this case to the district court for further consideration of the important factual issues involved in this case in light of the $67,220 in U.S. Currency decision. The district court should consider whether the facts show that there was probable cause shown by the government, whether the dog-sniffing, under the circumstances, was appropriate and significant, and whether the result of this activity was permissible evidence as in $67,220 in U.S. Currency.
I would accordingly reverse and remand this case for further consideration of the issues by the district court in light of $67,200 in U.S. Currency, and also in light of the recent Supreme Court decision in Florida v. Bostick, — U.S. -, 111 S.Ct. 2382, 115 L.Ed.2d 389 (1991).