Epps v. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, Civ. A. No. 3016.
Decision Date | 26 July 1973 |
Docket Number | Civ. A. No. 3016. |
Citation | 375 F. Supp. 345 |
Parties | William E. EPPS, Jr., Plaintiff, v. BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO & FIREARMS, etc., Defendant. |
Court | U.S. District Court — Eastern District of Tennessee |
Alfred W. Taylor, Milligan College, Tenn., for plaintiff.
John L. Bowers, Jr., U. S. Atty., and Charles N. Steadman, Asst. U. S. Atty., Knoxville, Tenn., for defendant.
This is an action by the plaintiff Mr. Epps, Jr. seeking the return to him of certain firearms and ammunition seized by agents of the defendant federal bureau and declared forfeited administratively on September 13, 1972. He undertook to invoke the jurisdiction of this Court under 18 U.S.C. ch. 44. The defendant moved to dismiss the action, on the ground, inter alia, that this Court lacks jurisdiction over the subject matter. Rule 12(b)(1), Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
The defendant exhibited with its answer official documents relating to the seizure and forfeiture of the foregoing articles. The plaintiff does not contest the accuracy of any such documents.
Exhibit A thereto reflects that 29 pistols, revolvers1 and shotguns and 571 rounds of ammunition were seized from the plaintiff by agents of the defendant on July 15, 1972 in Sullivan County, Eastern judicial district of Tennessee, for violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(1). That statute makes it unlawful "* * * for any person except a * * * licensed dealer * * * to engage in the business of * * * dealing in firearms or ammunition. * * *" Idem. It is undisputed that the plaintiff did not, at the pertinent times, have a license to engage in the business of dealing in firearms and ammunition; but, he was acquitted of having violated the provisions of 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(1) on November 7, 1972, in United States of America, plaintiff, v. William E. Epps, Jr., defendant, criminal action no. 7260, this district and division. Such acquittal on such criminal charge is not a bar to the civil administrative action by the government, which is remedial in nature, arising out of the same facts on which the criminal proceeding was based. Helvering v. Mitchell (1938), 303 U.S. 391, 397, 58 S.Ct. 630, 82 L.Ed. 917, 921 (headnote 2). Forfeiture of goods is a civil sanction, remedial in nature. Ibid., 303 U.S. at 400, 82 L.Ed. at 922 (headnote 6); see also Colacicco v. United States, infra, 143 F.2d at 411-4122 18 U.S.C. § 924(d), a part of 18 U.S. C. ch. 44, provides that:
* * * Any firearm or ammunition involved in or used or intended to be used in, any violation of the provisions of this chapter or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder, or any violation of any other criminal law of the United States, shall be subject to seizure and forfeiture and all provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 relating to the seizure, forfeiture, and disposition of firearms, as defined in section 5845(a) of that Code, shall, so far as applicable, extend to seizures and forfeitures under the provisions of this chapter. * * *
26 U.S.C., ch. 75, subchap. C relates to the seizure, forfeiture and disposition of firearms as defined in § 5845(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. 26 U. S.C. § 7325 thereof relates to cases of seizure of goods, wares, or merchandise as being subject to forfeiture under the provisions of title 26, U.S.C., "* * * which, in the opinion of the Secretary of the Treasury or his delegate, are of the appraised value of $2,500 or less. * * *" Such Secretary or his delegate is under mandate thereunder, except in cases otherwise provided, to proceed, in pertinent parts, as follows:
that notice of the proceeding, as required by law, 26 U.S.C. § 7325(2), supra, was scheduled for publication on August 14, 21, 28, 1972 in The Greeneville Sun, Greeneville, Tennessee; that a copy of such notice was attached for the plaintiff's information; that:
Such exhibit reflected that final claim date to be September 13, 1972.
On the last aforementioned date, the plaintiff forwarded a petition to the defendant, stating that he was the owner of the firearms of the appraised value of $1,290 which had been seized; that he believed such seizure was wrongful and illegal since "* * * he at said time and place of the seizure on July 15, 1972 in Sullivan County, Tennessee, was not violating title 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44 or any other law, Federal or State, * * * and that his innocence will be proven in a Court of competent jurisdiction. * * *" He offered to introduce evidence on a hearing to support his protestation of innocence and stated he stood "* * * ready to pay the costs, if costs are assessed as a condition to the allowance of this Petition. * * *" He prayed to be permitted to file such petition, and that such property be restored to him. No cost bond was filed with such petition, unless the plaintiff's offer "* * * to pay the costs, if costs are assessed as a condition to the allowance of this Petition * * *" may be construed as a cost bond.
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