State v. Giles

697 So. 2d 699, 1997 WL 335074
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 18, 1997
Docket29695-CA
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 697 So. 2d 699 (State v. Giles) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Giles, 697 So. 2d 699, 1997 WL 335074 (La. Ct. App. 1997).

Opinion

697 So.2d 699 (1997)

STATE of Louisiana, Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
Charles E. GILES, et al., Defendant-Appellant.

No. 29695-CA.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Second Circuit.

June 18, 1997.

*700 Piper & Associates by Anthony Hollis, Shreveport, for Defendant-Appellant.

State of Louisiana Drug Asset Recovery Team by John J. Williams, Jr., Covington, for Plaintiff-Appellee.

Before MARVIN, C.J., and CARAWAY and PEATROSS, JJ.

CARAWAY, Judge.

We are asked to decide whether a summary judgment granted by the trial court to the State of Louisiana was appropriate in this instance where the state, acting under the authority of the Seizure and Controlled Dangerous Substances Property Forfeiture Act of 1989, La. R.S. 40:2601 et seq. (hereinafter the "Act"), seized various property items and currency from the claimant, Charles E. Giles ("Giles"), valued at approximately $44,000. Because we find that the state has failed to meet its burden of showing no issues of material fact, we reverse the summary judgment granted in favor of the state and remand this case to the trial court for further proceedings.

Facts and Procedural History

The information serving as the substantive basis of this action is contained in a document *701 attached to the state's petition for forfeiture, which the petition references as a "Warrant of Seizure." This "Warrant of Seizure" is an undated and unsworn report signed by Deputy Jarrett Ketchum of the Bienville Parish Sheriff's Office, and no judicial action is reflected on the document formally issuing a warrant of seizure pursuant to Section 2606 of the Act. The petition further states that this "Warrant of Seizure" was utilized on August 13, 1993 to seize for forfeiture all the disputed property, and therefore, it apparently was the information provided to the judge for the requested seizure as an attempt to comply with the provisions of Section 2606(A).

Deputy Ketchum stated in the "Warrant of Seizure" that on August 3, 1993, he received information from a reliable confidential informant that Charles E. Giles had just returned from a trip to Texas with a load of marijuana. The informant also told Ketchum that Giles would be leaving Giles Liquor Store in Gibsland and traveling to Minden with a quantity of marijuana. Ketchum and other officers proceeded to the area and set up a surveillance. Ketchum states that about five minutes after they arrived, they observed Giles traveling west on I-20. Deputy Ketchum requested a Bienville Parish Sheriff's unit to intercept Giles, who was traveling in the westbound lane of I-20 heading toward Minden. According to Ketchum, Giles was observed by Trooper Ted Raley throwing a brown paper bag out of the passenger window of the vehicle, a 1984 Olds 98. Ketchum stated in the "Warrant of Seizure" that laboratory tests showed that the bag contained 1½ pounds of marijuana.

Giles was arrested, and police seized the Oldsmobile Giles was driving and $3,005.00 that Giles was carrying in his coat pocket. Agents then went to Giles Liquor Store in Gibsland and obtained consent to search the premises from Giles' wife, Martha Giles. There they found an additional 6½ pounds of marijuana and $580.00, which they also seized.

As further detailed in the "Warrant for Seizure," nine days after Giles' arrest, on August 12, 1993, Deputy Ketchum executed a search warrant on a safety deposit box at the Gibsland Bank & Trust in Gibsland, Louisiana rented by Charles and Martha Giles. Deputy Ketchum found in the box $6,050.00 in U.S. Savings Bonds. Deputy Ketchum also found that Giles had $22,488.66 in a joint savings account with Giles' mother, Rosa. Finally, the "Warrant of Seizure" stated the following regarding two additional vehicles which also are the subject of this suit:

Affiant [Deputy Ketchum] through CI information and Motor Vehicle records knows that Giles also owns a 1967 Pontiac GTO LA Lic # 868X697 that is specially equipped with a high performance engine that Giles uses to make local drug deliveries and was purchased and is maintained with drug proceeds.... Giles also owns a 1988 Ford Bronco LA Lic # S272015. This vehicle was purchased 2-19-93 and is being paid for and maintained with funds believed by Affiant to be proceeds of drug sales.

On November 8, 1993, the state instituted this action styled as a Petition for Forfeiture In Rem Action under the authority of La. R.S. 40:2601 et seq. In the petition, the state alleges that the property sought to be forfeited was seized by the Bienville Parish Sheriff's Office within the confines of Bienville Parish and consisted of:

A. Twenty six thousand eighty three and 65/100 ($26,083.65) dollars in U.S. currency.
B. Three thousand one hundred and no/ 100 ($3,100.00) dollars in U.S. currency.
C. Six thousand fifty and no/100 ($6,050.00) dollars in U.S. Savings Bonds, payable to Charles E. Giles, as follows:
# L487838962EE in the amount of $50.00 purchased 1/3/92
# M38223562EE in the amount of $1000.00 purchased 1/3/92
# M38223587EE in the amount of $1000.00 purchased 1/3/92
# M38223583EE in the amount of $1000.00 purchased 1/3/92
# M38223581EE in the amount of $1000.00 purchased 1/3/92
# M38223578EE in the amount of $1000.00 purchased 1/3/92
*702 # M38223586EE in the amount of $1000.00 purchased 1/3/92
D. One (1) 1984 Oldsmobile, VIN # 1G3AG37Y3EM710989
E. One (1) 1988 Ford Bronco II, Vin # 1FMCU14T3JUA44902
F. One (1) 1967 Pontiac GTO, Vin # 242177K130536
G. Approximately eight (8) pounds of marijuana.

The petition further alleges that the property is worth approximately $44,000.00 and that probable cause is set out in the above described statements by Deputy Ketchum in the "Warrant of Seizure" which was attached to the petition. The state alleges that the items above sought for forfeiture are proceeds of Charles E. Giles' drug enterprise or were used to facilitate the enterprise. Giles and his mother were served with the petition.

On October 21, 1994, Giles filed his claim to the disputed property in the form of an affidavit pursuant to Section 2610 wherein he alleges that the items seized were not connected with any offense set forth in La. R.S. 40:2604 and that they were not used in connection with the transportation of contraband or used to facilitate unlawful drug activity. A Supplemental Answer to the petition of the state was filed on October 27, 1994 setting forth a detailed statement of the claimant's interest in the property. Giles further claimed that he was unable to set forth the exact dates of acquisition of all the properties in question because the seizing authorities had also seized his records.

The state subsequently moved for summary judgment claiming that there were no issues of fact regarding its claim that the property in question was obtained from proceeds of drug deals or used in drug deals. Attached to the State's motion, as its only supporting evidence, was an affidavit by Deputy Ketchum dated June 12, 1996. The affidavit reported two convictions of Giles, as follows:

Giles' has convictions in Bienville Parish for possession with intent to distribute marijuana, record # 29682, and in Webster Parish possession of marijuana, record # 57747. In the Bienville Parish case 6-1/2 lbs.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
697 So. 2d 699, 1997 WL 335074, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-giles-lactapp-1997.