United States v. Johnson, No. 12-3414 (7th Cir. 2013)
Annotate this CaseIndiana police recovered $ 574,840, cash in a search of the home of Johnson, a suspected drug dealer, and turned the money over to the federal government. The Justice Department filed forfeiture proceedings under 18 U.S.C. 983(a)), claiming that the cash was proceeds of illegal drug activity, 21 U.S.C. 881(a)(6). The state constitution requires that criminal fines and all forfeitures be paid to the Common School Fund, rather than law enforcement. By allowing the federal government to conduct civil forfeiture, local law enforcement can attempt to receive a share of the forfeited proceeds and avoid payment to the Fund. Johnson filed a claim of ownership, which the district judge dismissed as noncompliant with Rule G(5)(a)(i). The Rule requires that the claim be signed under penalty of perjury, served on the government, and “identify the specific property claimed ... and state the claimant’s interest in the property,” but the judge held that the claimant must state “how he obtained possession of the currency … the date of receipt, the place of the receipt, and a description of the transaction which generated the currency.” The Seventh Circuit reversed and remanded, reasoning that the claim may be frivolous, but met the requirements of the Rule.
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