| |
|
| |
| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
| |
| HOUSE BILL |
|
| |
| |
| INTRODUCED BY GROVE, BOYD, GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, HARRIS, HORNAMAN, MOUL, MURT, PYLE, READSHAW, ROCK, SWANGER AND TALLMAN, FEBRUARY 19, 2010 |
| |
| |
| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, FEBRUARY 19, 2010 |
| |
| |
| |
| AN ACT |
| |
1 | Amending Titles 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure)and 75 |
2 | (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes,further |
3 | providing for controlled substance forfeiture; providing for |
4 | vehicle forfeiture when driving under the influence; further |
5 | providing for procedure with respect to seized property |
6 | subject to liens and rights of lienholders; and in driving |
7 | after imbibing alcohol or utilizing drugs, for grading and |
8 | for penalties; and making editorial changes. |
9 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
10 | hereby enacts as follows: |
11 | Section 1. Section 6801(b), (d), (e) and (k) of Title 42 of |
12 | the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read: |
13 | § 6801. Controlled substances forfeiture. |
14 | * * * |
15 | (b) Process and seizure.--Property subject to forfeiture |
16 | under this [chapter] section may be seized by the law |
17 | enforcement authority upon process issued by any court of common |
18 | pleas having jurisdiction over the property. Seizure without |
19 | process may be made if: |
20 | (1) the seizure is incident to an arrest or a search |
|
1 | under a search warrant or inspection under an administrative |
2 | inspection warrant; |
3 | (2) the property subject to seizure has been the subject |
4 | of a prior judgment in favor of the Commonwealth in a |
5 | criminal injunction or forfeiture proceeding under this |
6 | [chapter] section; |
7 | (3) there is probable cause to believe that the property |
8 | is dangerous to health or safety; or |
9 | (4) there is probable cause to believe that the property |
10 | has been used or is intended to be used in violation of The |
11 | Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act. |
12 | * * * |
13 | (d) Custody of property.--Property taken or detained under |
14 | this section shall not be subject to replevin, but is deemed to |
15 | be in the custody of the law enforcement authority subject only |
16 | to the orders and decrees of the court of common pleas having |
17 | jurisdiction over the forfeiture proceedings and of the district |
18 | attorney or the Attorney General. When property is seized under |
19 | this [chapter] section, the law enforcement authority shall |
20 | place the property under seal and either: |
21 | (1) remove the property to a place designated by it; or |
22 | (2) require that the district attorney or Attorney |
23 | General take custody of the property and remove it to an |
24 | appropriate location for disposition in accordance with law. |
25 | (e) Use of property held in custody.--Whenever property is |
26 | forfeited under this [chapter] section, the property shall be |
27 | transferred to the custody of the district attorney, if the law |
28 | enforcement authority seizing the property has local or county |
29 | jurisdiction, or the Attorney General, if the law enforcement |
30 | authority seizing the property has Statewide jurisdiction. The |
|
1 | district attorney or the Attorney General, where appropriate, |
2 | may: |
3 | (1) Retain the property for official use. |
4 | (2) Sell any forfeited property which is not required to |
5 | be destroyed by law and which is not harmful to the public, |
6 | but the proceeds from any such sale shall be used to pay all |
7 | proper expenses of the proceedings for forfeiture and sale, |
8 | including expenses of seizure, maintenance of custody, |
9 | advertising and court costs. The balance of the proceeds |
10 | shall be dealt with in accordance with subsections (f) and |
11 | (g). |
12 | * * * |
13 | (k) Proceeds and appropriations.--The proceeds or future |
14 | proceeds from forfeited property under this [chapter] section |
15 | shall be in addition to any appropriation made to the Office of |
16 | Attorney General. |
17 | Section 2. Title 42 is amended by adding a section to read: |
18 | § 6801.2. Vehicle forfeiture. |
19 | (a) Forfeiture generally.--Except as provided in subsection |
20 | (b), in addition to any other penalty imposed under law, the |
21 | court shall order forfeiture of a vehicle to the Commonwealth |
22 | which an individual was driving or operating or was in actual |
23 | physical control of at the time of the commission of an offense |
24 | which is classified as a felony of the third degree under 75 |
25 | Pa.C.S. § 3803(c) (relating to grading). |
26 | (b) Exceptions.--The following shall apply: |
27 | (1) No vehicle used by any person as a common carrier in |
28 | the transaction of business as a common carrier shall be |
29 | forfeited under this section unless it appears that the owner |
30 | or other person in charge of the conveyance was a consenting |
|
1 | party or privy to a violation of 75 Pa.C.S. (relating to |
2 | vehicles). |
3 | (2) No vehicle shall be forfeited under this section by |
4 | reason of any act or omission which the owner of the vehicle |
5 | establishes to have been committed or omitted without the |
6 | owner's reasonable knowledge or consent. |
7 | (3) No bona fide security interest shall be subject to |
8 | forfeiture or impairment if it was retained or acquired in |
9 | any of the following circumstances: |
10 | (i) Under 13 Pa.C.S. (relating to commercial code) |
11 | by any merchant dealing in new or used vehicles. |
12 | (ii) By any licensed or regulated finance company, |
13 | bank or lending institution or by any other business |
14 | regularly engaged in the financing of or lending on the |
15 | security of the vehicle. |
16 | (c) Process and seizure.-- |
17 | (1) Property subject to forfeiture under this section |
18 | may be seized by the law enforcement authority upon process |
19 | issued by any court of common pleas having jurisdiction over |
20 | the property. |
21 | (2) Seizure without process may be made if any of the |
22 | following apply: |
23 | (i) The seizure is incident to an arrest or a search |
24 | under a search warrant or inspection under an |
25 | administrative inspection warrant. |
26 | (ii) The property subject to seizure has been the |
27 | subject of a prior judgment in favor of the Commonwealth |
28 | in a criminal injunction or forfeiture proceeding under |
29 | this section. |
30 | (iii) There is probable cause to believe that the |
|
1 | property has been used or is intended to be used in |
2 | violation of 75 Pa.C.S. § 3802 (relating to driving under |
3 | influence of alcohol or controlled substance). |
4 | (3) In the event seizure without process occurs under |
5 | paragraph (2), proceedings for the issuance of process shall |
6 | be instituted as soon as possible. |
7 | (d) Custody.--Property taken or detained under this section |
8 | shall not be subject to replevin but is deemed to be in the |
9 | custody of the law enforcement authority, subject only to the |
10 | orders and decrees of the court of common pleas having |
11 | jurisdiction over the forfeiture proceedings and of the district |
12 | attorney or the Attorney General. When property is seized under |
13 | this section, the law enforcement authority shall place the |
14 | property under seal and either: |
15 | (1) remove the property to a place designated by it; or |
16 | (2) require that the district attorney or Attorney |
17 | General take custody of the property and remove it to an |
18 | appropriate location for disposition in accordance with law. |
19 | (e) Use or sale of property.--Whenever property is forfeited |
20 | under this section, the property shall be transferred to the |
21 | custody of the district attorney, if the law enforcement |
22 | authority seizing the property has local or county jurisdiction, |
23 | or to the Attorney General, if the law enforcement authority |
24 | seizing the property has Statewide jurisdiction. The district |
25 | attorney or the Attorney General, where appropriate, may do any |
26 | of the following: |
27 | (1) Retain the property for official use. |
28 | (2) Sell any forfeited property. The proceeds from any |
29 | sale shall be used to pay all proper expenses of the |
30 | proceedings for forfeiture and sale, including expenses of |
|
1 | seizure, maintenance of custody, advertising and court costs. |
2 | The balance of the proceeds shall be dealt with in accordance |
3 | with subsections (f) and (g). |
4 | (f) Use of cash or proceeds of property.--Cash or proceeds |
5 | of forfeited property transferred to the custody of the district |
6 | attorney under subsection (e) shall be placed in the operating |
7 | fund of the county in which the district attorney is elected. |
8 | The appropriate county authority shall immediately release from |
9 | the operating fund, without restriction, a like amount for the |
10 | use of the district attorney enforcing the driving under the |
11 | influence provisions of 75 Pa.C.S. The entity having budgetary |
12 | control shall not anticipate future forfeitures or proceeds from |
13 | future forfeitures in adopting and approving the budget for the |
14 | district attorney. |
15 | (g) Distribution of property among law enforcement |
16 | authorities.--If both municipal and State law enforcement |
17 | authorities were substantially involved in effecting the |
18 | seizure, the court having jurisdiction over the forfeiture |
19 | proceedings shall equitably distribute the property between the |
20 | district attorney and the Attorney General. |
21 | (h) Authorization to utilize property or proceeds.--The |
22 | district attorney and the Attorney General shall utilize |
23 | forfeited property or proceeds from forfeited property for the |
24 | purpose of enforcing the provisions of 75 Pa.C.S. In appropriate |
25 | cases, the district attorney and the Attorney General may |
26 | designate proceeds from forfeited property to be utilized by |
27 | community-based drug and alcohol programs and crime-fighting |
28 | programs and for relocation and protection of witnesses in |
29 | criminal cases. |
30 | (i) Annual audit.--It shall be the responsibility of every |
|
1 | county in this Commonwealth to provide, through the controller, |
2 | board of auditors or other appropriate auditor and the district |
3 | attorney, an annual audit of all forfeited property and proceeds |
4 | obtained under this section. The audit shall not be made public |
5 | but shall be submitted to the Office of Attorney General. The |
6 | county shall report all forfeited property and proceeds obtained |
7 | under this section and the disposition of the property and |
8 | proceeds to the Attorney General by September 30 of each year. |
9 | (j) Annual report and confidential information.--The |
10 | Attorney General shall do all of the following: |
11 | (1) Annually submit a report to the Appropriations and |
12 | Judiciary Committees of the Senate and the Appropriations and |
13 | Judiciary Committees of the House of Representatives |
14 | specifying the forfeited property or proceeds of forfeited |
15 | property obtained under this section. The report shall give |
16 | an accounting of all proceeds derived from the sale of |
17 | forfeited property and the use made of unsold forfeited |
18 | property. |
19 | (2) Adopt procedures and guidelines governing the |
20 | release of information by the district attorney to protect |
21 | the confidentiality of forfeited property or proceeds used in |
22 | ongoing law enforcement activities. |
23 | (k) Proceeds and appropriations.--The proceeds or future |
24 | proceeds from forfeited property under this section shall be in |
25 | addition to any appropriation made to the Office of Attorney |
26 | General. |
27 | Section 3. Section 6802(a)(5), (f) introductory paragraph, |
28 | (j) introductory paragraph and (k) of Title 42 are amended to |
29 | read: |
30 | § 6802. Procedure with respect to seized property subject to |
|
1 | liens and rights of lienholders. |
2 | (a) General procedure.--The proceedings for the forfeiture |
3 | or condemnation of property, the sale of which is provided for |
4 | in this chapter, shall be in rem, in which the Commonwealth |
5 | shall be the plaintiff and the property the defendant. A |
6 | petition shall be filed in the court of common pleas of the |
7 | judicial district where the property is located, verified by |
8 | oath or affirmation of an officer or citizen, containing the |
9 | following: |
10 | * * * |
11 | (5) An allegation that the property is subject to |
12 | forfeiture [pursuant to section 6801(a) (relating to |
13 | controlled substances forfeiture) or 6801.1(a) (relating to |
14 | terrorism forfeiture)] under this chapter and an averment of |
15 | material facts upon which the forfeiture action is based. |
16 | * * * |
17 | (f) Preservation of the property subject for forfeiture.-- |
18 | Upon application of the Commonwealth, the court may enter a |
19 | restraining order or injunction, require the execution of a |
20 | satisfactory performance bond or take any other action to |
21 | preserve the availability of property [described in section |
22 | 6801(a) or 6801.1(a)] under this chapter for forfeiture under |
23 | this section either: |
24 | * * * |
25 | (j) Owner's burden of proof.--At the time of the hearing, if |
26 | the Commonwealth produces evidence that the property in question |
27 | was unlawfully used, possessed or otherwise subject to |
28 | forfeiture under [section 6801(a) or 6801.1(a)] this chapter, |
29 | the burden shall be upon the claimant to show: |
30 | * * * |
|
1 | (k) Court-ordered release of property.--If a person claiming |
2 | the ownership of or right of possession to or claiming to be the |
3 | holder of a chattel mortgage or contract of conditional sale |
4 | upon the property, the disposition of which is provided for in |
5 | this section, prior to the sale presents a petition to the court |
6 | alleging over the property lawful ownership, right of |
7 | possession, a lien or reservation of title and if, upon public |
8 | hearing, due notice of which having been given to the Attorney |
9 | General or the district attorney, the claimant shall prove by |
10 | competent evidence to the satisfaction of the court that the |
11 | property was lawfully acquired, possessed and used by him or, it |
12 | appearing that the property was unlawfully used by a person |
13 | other than the claimant, that the unlawful use was without the |
14 | claimant's knowledge or consent, then the court may order the |
15 | property returned or delivered to the claimant. Such absence of |
16 | knowledge or consent must be reasonable under the circumstances |
17 | presented. Otherwise, it shall be retained for official use or |
18 | sold in accordance with [section 6801(e) or 6801.1(f)] this |
19 | chapter. |
20 | Section 4. Section 3803(a) introductory paragraph of Title |
21 | 75 is amended and the section is amended by adding a subsection |
22 | to read: |
23 | § 3803. Grading. |
24 | (a) Basic offenses.--Notwithstanding the provisions of |
25 | [subsection (b)] subsections (b) and (c): |
26 | * * * |
27 | (c) Habitual offender.-- |
28 | (1) An individual who violates section 3802(b) and who |
29 | has four or more prior offenses commits a felony of the third |
30 | degree. |
|
1 | (2) An individual who violates section 3802(a)(1), where |
2 | the individual refused testing of blood or breath, or who |
3 | violates section 3802(c) or (d) and who has three or more |
4 | prior offenses commits a felony of the third degree. |
5 | Section 5. Section 3804(b)(4) and (c)(3) of Title 75 are |
6 | amended and the subsections are amended by adding paragraphs to |
7 | read: |
8 | § 3804. Penalties. |
9 | * * * |
10 | (b) High rate of blood alcohol; minors; commercial vehicles |
11 | and school buses and school vehicles; accidents.--Except as set |
12 | forth in subsection (c), an individual who violates section |
13 | 3802(a)(1) where there was an accident resulting in bodily |
14 | injury, serious bodily injury or death of any person or damage |
15 | to a vehicle or other property or who violates section 3802(b), |
16 | (e) or (f) shall be sentenced as follows: |
17 | * * * |
18 | (4) For a fourth [or subsequent] offense, to: |
19 | (i) undergo imprisonment of not less than one year; |
20 | (ii) pay a fine of not less than $1,500 nor more |
21 | than $10,000; and |
22 | (iii) comply with all drug and alcohol treatment |
23 | requirements imposed under sections 3814 and 3815. |
24 | (5) For a fifth or subsequent offense, to: |
25 | (i) undergo imprisonment of not less than two years; |
26 | (ii) pay a fine of not less than $2,500 nor more |
27 | than $15,000; and |
28 | (iii) comply with all drug and alcohol treatment |
29 | requirements imposed under sections 3814 and 3815. |
30 | (c) Incapacity; highest blood alcohol; controlled |
|
1 | substances.--An individual who violates section 3802(a)(1) and |
2 | refused testing of blood or breath or an individual who violates |
3 | section 3802(c) or (d) shall be sentenced as follows: |
4 | * * * |
5 | (3) For a third [or subsequent] offense, to: |
6 | (i) undergo imprisonment of not less than one year; |
7 | (ii) pay a fine of not less than $2,500; and |
8 | (iii) comply with all drug and alcohol treatment |
9 | requirements imposed under sections 3814 and 3815. |
10 | (4) For a fourth or subsequent offense, to: |
11 | (i) undergo imprisonment of not less than two years; |
12 | (ii) pay a fine of not less than $5,000; and |
13 | (iii) comply with all drug and alcohol treatment |
14 | requirements imposed under sections 3814 and 3815. |
15 | * * * |
16 | Section 6. The following provisions shall apply to all |
17 | offenses committed on or after the effective date of this |
18 | section: |
19 | (1) The amendment of 42 Pa.C.S. § 6801(b), (d), (e) and |
20 | (k). |
21 | (2) The addition of 42 Pa.C.S. § 6801.2. |
22 | (3) The amendment of 42 Pa.C.S. § 6802(a)(5), (f) |
23 | introductory paragraph, (j) introductory paragraph and (k). |
24 | (4) The amendment or addition of 75 Pa.C.S. § 3803(a) |
25 | and (c). |
26 | (5) The amendment or addition of 75 Pa.C.S. § 3804(b)(4) |
27 | and (5) and (c)(3) and (4). |
28 | Section 7. This act shall take effect in 60 days. |
|