Rep. Constance A. Howard

Filed: 4/1/2011

 

 


 

 


 
09700HB0908ham001LRB097 03727 RLC 53801 a

1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 908

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 908 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The Drug Asset Forfeiture Procedure Act is
5amended by changing Sections 4 and 9 and by adding Sections 5.1
6and 5.2 as follows:
 
7    (725 ILCS 150/4)  (from Ch. 56 1/2, par. 1674)
8    Sec. 4. Notice to Owner or Interest Holder.
9    (A) Whenever notice of pending forfeiture or service of an
10in rem complaint is required under the provisions of this Act,
11such notice or service shall be given as follows:
12        (1) If the owner's or interest holder's name and
13    current address are known, then by either personal service
14    or mailing a copy of the notice by certified mail, return
15    receipt requested, to that address. For purposes of notice
16    under this Section, if a person has been arrested for the

 

 

09700HB0908ham001- 2 -LRB097 03727 RLC 53801 a

1    conduct giving rise to the forfeiture, then the address
2    provided to the arresting agency at the time of arrest
3    shall be deemed to be that person's known address.
4    Provided, however, if an owner or interest holder's address
5    changes prior to the effective date of the notice of
6    pending forfeiture, the owner or interest holder shall
7    promptly notify the seizing agency of the change in address
8    or, if the owner or interest holder's address changes
9    subsequent to the effective date of the notice of pending
10    forfeiture, the owner or interest holder shall promptly
11    notify the State's Attorney of the change in address. A
12    good faith effort shall be made to provide notice at their
13    institutional location to any owners or interest holders
14    who are known to be incarcerated at the time when notice is
15    required to be given under this Section; or
16        (2) If the property seized is a conveyance, to the
17    address reflected in the office of the agency or official
18    in which title or interest to the conveyance is required by
19    law to be recorded, then by mailing a copy of the notice by
20    certified mail, return receipt requested, to that address;
21    or
22        (3) If the owner's or interest holder's address is not
23    known, and is not on record as provided in paragraph (2),
24    then by publication for 3 successive weeks in a newspaper
25    of general circulation in the county in which the seizure
26    occurred.

 

 

09700HB0908ham001- 3 -LRB097 03727 RLC 53801 a

1    (B) Notice served under this Act is effective upon personal
2service, the last date of publication, or the mailing of
3written notice, whichever is earlier.
4(Source: P.A. 86-1382; 87-614.)
 
5    (725 ILCS 150/5.1 new)
6    Sec. 5.1. Notice; Right to a Preliminary Hearing. Within
772 hours of a seizure of personal property under the Illinois
8Controlled Substances Act, the Cannabis Control Act, or the
9Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act, the
10seizing agency shall provide the owner or interest holder of
11the property notice in accordance with this Section and in the
12manner provided by Section 4 of this Act. For purposes of this
13Section and Section 5.2, the owner or interest holder of the
14personal property shall be referred to as claimant. Such notice
15shall state that the seized property is subject to forfeiture.
16The notice shall give a description of the property, the
17estimated value of the property, the date and place of seizure,
18the conduct giving rise to forfeiture or the violation of law
19alleged, and a summary of procedures and procedural rights
20applicable to the forfeiture action. Such notice shall state
21that the claimant has a right to a preliminary adversarial
22hearing to determine whether there is probable cause that such
23property is subject to forfeiture. The claimant shall be given
2415 business days from the receipt of the notice to request a
25preliminary adversarial hearing by checking a box that is to be

 

 

09700HB0908ham001- 4 -LRB097 03727 RLC 53801 a

1provided upon the face of the notice and returning the notice
2to the State's Attorney for the county in which the seizure has
3occurred. Upon the timely receipt of notice, the State's
4Attorney shall provide for an adversarial preliminary hearing
5in accordance with Section 5.2. If the seizing agency does not
6provide notice as required under this Section, the property
7shall be released pending the commencement of the forfeiture
8hearing under this Act.
 
9    (725 ILCS 150/5.2 new)
10    Sec. 5.2. Preliminary Forfeiture Review; Remedies.
11    (a) Where a claimant has requested a hearing in accordance
12with Section 5.1, within 10 business days of the receipt of
13such request, the State's Attorney shall commence an
14adversarial hearing in the circuit court of the county in which
15such personal property has been seized.
16    (b) The court shall review all supporting documentation and
17take any testimony in order to make a preliminary determination
18whether there is probable cause to believe that the property at
19issue is subject to forfeiture. In such hearing, it shall be
20the burden of the State to show probable cause that the
21property is subject to forfeiture.
22    (c) A claimant shall have the right and opportunity to
23cross-examine the State's witnesses and to present evidence in
24response to the evidence offered by the State in support of
25probable cause. The claimant shall also have the opportunity to

 

 

09700HB0908ham001- 5 -LRB097 03727 RLC 53801 a

1present evidence that he or she is not legally accountable for
2the conduct giving rise to the forfeiture, did not acquiesce in
3it, or did not know and could not reasonably have known of the
4conduct or that the conduct was likely to occur.
5    (d) If the court finds that the State has not met its
6burden under subsection (b) of this Section, the property shall
7be released and all fees and costs associated with the storage
8and seizure of the property shall be vacated.
9    (e) If the court finds that the State has met its burden
10under subsection (b), the State must show by a preponderance of
11evidence that its need for the retention of the property
12outweighs the hardship to the claimant that would result from
13denying him or her access to or use of the property pending the
14forfeiture hearing.
15    (f) A claimant shall have the right and opportunity to
16cross-examine the State's witnesses and to present evidence
17concerning whether the burden of State's retaining the property
18pending a forfeiture hearing outweighs the claimant's interest
19in retaining the property pending the forfeiture hearing.
20    (g) If the court finds the State did not show under
21subsection (e) that its need to retain the property is greater
22than the claimant's need to keep the property, the court shall
23grant the claimant reasonable access to and use of the property
24pending the commencement of a forfeiture hearing. In such case,
25the court shall order the property to be restrained by the
26least restrictive means to protect against disposal, waste, or

 

 

09700HB0908ham001- 6 -LRB097 03727 RLC 53801 a

1continued illegal use of such property pending disposition of
2the forfeiture proceeding. The court may order the owner or
3interest holder to post a bond or other adequate security.
4    (h) The rules of evidence shall not apply to hearings
5conducted under this Section.
 
6    (725 ILCS 150/9)  (from Ch. 56 1/2, par. 1679)
7    Sec. 9. Judicial in rem procedures. If property seized
8under the provisions of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act,
9the Cannabis Control Act, or the Methamphetamine Control and
10Community Protection Act is non-real property that exceeds
11$20,000 in value excluding the value of any conveyance, or is
12real property, or a claimant has filed a claim and a cost bond
13under subsection (C) of Section 6 of this Act, the following
14judicial in rem procedures shall apply:
15    (A) If, after a review of the facts surrounding the
16seizure, the State's Attorney is of the opinion that the seized
17property is subject to forfeiture, then within 45 days of the
18receipt of notice of seizure by the seizing agency or the
19filing of the claim and cost bond, whichever is later, the
20State's Attorney shall institute judicial forfeiture
21proceedings by filing a verified complaint for forfeiture and,
22if the claimant has filed a claim and cost bond, by depositing
23the cost bond with the clerk of the court. When authorized by
24law, a forfeiture must be ordered by a court on an action in
25rem brought by a State's Attorney under a verified complaint

 

 

09700HB0908ham001- 7 -LRB097 03727 RLC 53801 a

1for forfeiture.
2    (B) During the probable cause portion of the judicial in
3rem proceeding wherein the State presents its case-in-chief,
4the court must receive and consider, among other things, all
5relevant hearsay evidence and information. The laws of evidence
6relating to civil actions shall apply to all other portions of
7the judicial in rem proceeding.
8    (C) Only an owner of or interest holder in the property may
9file an answer asserting a claim against the property in the
10action in rem. For purposes of this Section, the owner or
11interest holder shall be referred to as claimant.
12    (D) The answer must be signed by the owner or interest
13holder under penalty of perjury and must set forth:
14        (i) the caption of the proceedings as set forth on the
15    notice of pending forfeiture and the name of the claimant;
16        (ii) the address at which the claimant will accept
17    mail;
18        (iii) the nature and extent of the claimant's interest
19    in the property;
20        (iv) the date, identity of transferor, and
21    circumstances of the claimant's acquisition of the
22    interest in the property;
23        (v) the name and address of all other persons known to
24    have an interest in the property;
25        (vi) the specific provisions of Section 8 of this Act
26    relied on in asserting it is not subject to forfeiture;

 

 

09700HB0908ham001- 8 -LRB097 03727 RLC 53801 a

1        (vii) all essential facts supporting each assertion;
2    and
3        (viii) the precise relief sought.
4    (E) The answer must be filed with the court within 45 days
5after service of the civil in rem complaint.
6    (F) The hearing must be held within 60 days after filing of
7the answer unless continued for good cause.
8    (G) The State shall show the property is subject to
9forfeiture by a preponderance of the evidence existence of
10probable cause for forfeiture of the property. If the State
11shows the property is subject to forfeiture by a preponderance
12of the evidence probable cause, the claimant has the burden of
13showing by a preponderance of the evidence that the claimant's
14interest in the property is not subject to forfeiture.
15    (H) If the State does not show the property is subject to
16forfeiture by a preponderance of the evidence existence of
17probable cause or a claimant has established by a preponderance
18of evidence that the claimant has an interest that is exempt
19under Section 8 of this Act, the court shall order the interest
20in the property returned or conveyed to the claimant and shall
21order all other property forfeited to the State. If the State
22does show the property is subject to forfeiture by a
23preponderance of the evidence existence of probable cause and
24the claimant does not establish by a preponderance of evidence
25that the claimant has an interest that is exempt under Section
268 of this Act, the court shall order all property forfeited to

 

 

09700HB0908ham001- 9 -LRB097 03727 RLC 53801 a

1the State.
2    (I) A defendant convicted in any criminal proceeding is
3precluded from later denying the essential allegations of the
4criminal offense of which the defendant was convicted in any
5proceeding under this Act regardless of the pendency of an
6appeal from that conviction. However, evidence of the pendency
7of an appeal is admissible.
8    (J) An acquittal or dismissal in a criminal proceeding
9shall not preclude civil proceedings under this Act; however,
10for good cause shown, on a motion by the State's Attorney, the
11court may stay civil forfeiture proceedings during the criminal
12trial for a related criminal indictment or information alleging
13a violation of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act, the
14Cannabis Control Act, or the Methamphetamine Control and
15Community Protection Act. Such a stay shall not be available
16pending an appeal. Property subject to forfeiture under the
17Illinois Controlled Substances Act, the Cannabis Control Act,
18or the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act
19shall not be subject to return or release by a court exercising
20jurisdiction over a criminal case involving the seizure of such
21property unless such return or release is consented to by the
22State's Attorney.
23    (K) All property declared forfeited under this Act vests in
24this State on the commission of the conduct giving rise to
25forfeiture together with the proceeds of the property after
26that time. Any such property or proceeds subsequently

 

 

09700HB0908ham001- 10 -LRB097 03727 RLC 53801 a

1transferred to any person remain subject to forfeiture and
2thereafter shall be ordered forfeited unless the transferee
3claims and establishes in a hearing under the provisions of
4this Act that the transferee's interest is exempt under Section
58 of this Act.
6    (L) A civil action under this Act must be commenced within
75 years after the last conduct giving rise to forfeiture became
8known or should have become known or 5 years after the
9forfeitable property is discovered, whichever is later,
10excluding any time during which either the property or claimant
11is out of the State or in confinement or during which criminal
12proceedings relating to the same conduct are in progress.
13(Source: P.A. 94-556, eff. 9-11-05.)".