Iowa Code 809A.17 – Allocation of forfeited property
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1. A person having control over forfeited property shall communicate that fact to the attorney general or the attorney general’s designee.
Terms Used In Iowa Code 809A.17
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
- person: means individual, corporation, limited liability company, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, or any other legal entity. See Iowa Code 4.1
- Proceeds: means property acquired directly or indirectly from, produced through, realized through, or caused by an act or omission and includes any property of any kind without reduction for expenses incurred for acquisition, maintenance, production, or any other purpose. See Iowa Code 809A.1
- Property: means anything of value, and includes any interest in property, including any benefit, privilege, claim, or right with respect to anything of value, whether real or personal, tangible or intangible. See Iowa Code 809A.1
- real property: include lands, tenements, hereditaments, and all rights thereto and interests therein, equitable as well as legal. See Iowa Code 4.1
- Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
- Seizing agency: means a department or agency of this state or its political subdivisions that regularly employs law enforcement officers, and that employs the law enforcement officer who seizes property for forfeiture, or such other agency as the department or agency may designate by its chief executive officer or the officer's designee. See Iowa Code 809A.1
- state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
2. Forfeited property not needed as evidence in a criminal case shall be delivered to the department of justice, or, upon written authorization of the attorney general or the attorney general’s designee, the property may be destroyed, sold, or delivered to an appropriate agency for disposal in accordance with this section.
3. Forfeited property may be used by the department of justice in the enforcement of the criminal law. The department may give, sell, or trade property to any other state agency or to any other law enforcement agency within the state if, in the opinion of the attorney general, it will enhance law enforcement within the state.
4. Forfeited property which is not used by the department of justice in the enforcement of the law may be requisitioned by the department of public safety or any law enforcement agency within the state for use in enforcing the criminal laws of this state. Forfeited property not requisitioned may be delivered to the director of the department of administrative services to be disposed of in the same manner as property received pursuant to section 8A.325.
5. Notwithstanding subsection 1, 2, 3, or 4, the following apply:
a. Forfeited property which is a controlled substance or a simulated, counterfeit, or imitation controlled substance shall be disposed of as provided in section 124.506.
b. Forfeited property which is a weapon or ammunition shall be deposited with the department of public safety to be disposed of in accordance with the rules of the department. All weapons or ammunition may be held for use in law enforcement, testing, or comparison by the criminalistics laboratory, or destroyed. Ammunition and firearms which are not illegal and are not offensive weapons as defined by section 724.1 may be sold by the department as provided in section 809.21.
c. Material in violation of chapter 728 shall be destroyed.
d. Property subject to the rules of the natural resource commission shall be delivered to that commission for disposal in accordance with its rules.
e. If the forfeited property is cash or proceeds from the sale of real property, the distribution of the forfeited property shall be as follows:
(1) The department of justice shall not retain more than ten percent of the gross sale of any forfeited real property. The balance of the proceeds shall be distributed to the seizing agency for use by the agency or for division among law enforcement agencies and county attorneys pursuant to any agreement entered into by the seizing agency.
(2) The department of justice shall not retain more than ten percent of any forfeited cash. The balance shall be distributed to the seizing agency for use by the agency or for division among law enforcement agencies and county attorneys pursuant to any agreement entered into by the seizing agency.
(3) In the event of a cash forfeiture in excess of four hundred thousand dollars, the distribution of forfeited cash shall be as follows:
(a) Forty-five percent shall be retained by the seizing agency.
(b) Forty-five percent shall be distributed to other law enforcement agencies within the region of the seizing agency.
(c) Ten percent shall be retained by the department of justice.