Below are some of the most common Connecticut asset forfeiture statutes. For a more complete list, you can search “asset forfeiture” at the Connecticut judicial branch website.

Forfeiture of Property Related to Illegal Sale

Sec.54-36h.Forfeiture of moneys and property related to illegal sale or exchange of controlled substances or money laundering. In rem proceeding. Disposition. (a) The following property shall be subject to forfeiture to the state pursuant to subsection (b) of this section:

1. All moneys used, or intended for use, in the procurement, manufacture, compounding, processing, delivery or distribution of any controlled substance, as defined in subdivision (9) of section 21a-240;
2. All property constituting the proceeds obtained, directly or indirectly, from any sale or exchange of any such controlled substance in violation of section 21a-277 or 21a-278;
3. All property derived from the proceeds obtained, directly or indirectly, from any sale or exchange for pecuniary gain of any such controlled substance in violation of section 21a-277 or 21a-278;
4. All property used or intended for use, in any manner or part, to commit or facilitate the commission of a violation for pecuniary gain of section 21a-277 or 21a-278;
5. All property constituting, or derived from, the proceeds obtained, directly or indirectly, by a corporation as a result of a violation of section 53a-276, 53a-277 or 53a-278.

(b) Not later than ninety days after the seizure of moneys or property subject to forfeiture pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, in connection with a lawful criminal arrest or a lawful search, the Chief State’s Attorney or a deputy chief state’s attorney, state’s attorney or assistant or deputy assistant state’s attorney may petition the court in the nature of a proceeding in rem to order forfeiture of said moneys or property. Such proceeding shall be deemed a civil suit in equity, in which the state shall have the burden of proving all material facts by clear and convincing evidence. The court shall identify the owner of said moneys or property and any other person as appears to have an interest therein, and order the state to give notice to such owner and any interested person by certified or registered mail, and shall promptly, but not less than two weeks after notice, hold a hearing on the petition. No testimony offered or evidence produced by such owner or interested person at such hearing and no evidence discovered as a result of or otherwise derived from such testimony or evidence, may be used against such owner or interested person in any proceeding, except that no such owner or interested person shall be immune from prosecution for perjury or contempt committed while giving such testimony or producing such evidence. At such hearing the court shall hear evidence and make findings of fact and enter conclusions of law and shall issue a final order, from which the parties shall have such right of appeal as from a decree in equity.

(c) No property shall be forfeited under this section to the extent of the interest of an owner or lienholder by reason of any act or omission committed by another person if such owner or lienholder did not know and could not have reasonably known that such property was being used or was intended to be used in, or was derived from, criminal activity.

(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, no moneys or property used or intended to be used by the owner thereof to pay legitimate attorney’s fees in connection with his defense in a criminal prosecution shall be subject to forfeiture under this section.

(e) Any property ordered forfeited pursuant to subsection (b) of this section shall be sold at public auction conducted by the Commissioner of Administrative Services or his designee.

(f) The proceeds from any sale of property under subsection (e) of this section and any moneys forfeited under this section shall be applied: (1) To payment of the balance due on any lien preserved by the court in the forfeiture proceedings; (2) to payment of any costs incurred for the storage, maintenance, security and forfeiture of such property; and (3) to payment of court costs. The balance, if any, shall be deposited in the drug asset forfeiture revolving account established under section 54-36i.

Drug Asset Forfeiture Revolving Accounts

Sec. 54-36i. Drug assets forfeiture revolving account. Allocation of moneys. (a) There is established and created an account of the General Fund to be known as the “drug assets forfeiture revolving account” for the purpose of providing funds for substance abuse treatment and education programs and for use in the detection, investigation, apprehension and prosecution of persons for the violation of the laws pertaining to the illegal manufacture, sale, distribution or possession of controlled substances.

(b) The account shall consist of the proceeds from the sale of property and moneys received and deposited pursuant to section 54-36h.

(c) Moneys in such account shall be distributed as follows: (1) Seventy per cent shall be allocated to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection and local police departments pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, fifteen per cent of which shall be used for purposes of drug education and eighty-five per cent of which shall be used for the detection, investigation, apprehension and prosecution of persons for the violation of laws pertaining to the illegal manufacture, sale, distribution or possession of controlled substances and for the purposes of police training on gang-related violence as required by section 7-294l, (2) twenty per cent shall be allocated to the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services for substance abuse treatment and education programs and tobacco prevention and enforcement positions engaged in compliance activities as required by the federal government as a condition of receipt of substance abuse prevention and treatment block grant funds, and (3) ten per cent shall be allocated to the Division of Criminal Justice for use in the prosecution of persons for the violation of laws pertaining to the illegal manufacture, sale, distribution or possession of controlled substances.

(d) Expenditures from the account allocated to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection and local police departments shall be authorized by a panel composed of: (1) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection or his designee, (2) the commander of the state-wide narcotics task force or his designee, and (3) the president of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association or his designee. The panel shall adopt procedures for the orderly authorization of expenditures, subject to the approval of the Comptroller. Such expenditures may be authorized only to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection and to organized local police departments within this state. Such expenditures shall be held by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection and the various organized local police departments in accounts or funds established for that purpose. In no event shall the expenditures be placed in a state or town general fund and in no event shall the expenditures be used for purposes other than those provided in subdivision (1) of subsection (c) of this section. The panel shall ensure the equitable allocation of expenditures to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection or any local police department which participated directly in any of the acts which led to the seizure or forfeiture of the property so as to reflect generally the contribution of said department or such local police department in such acts. The panel shall authorize expenditures from the account for the reimbursement of any organized local police department which has used its own funds in the detection, investigation, apprehension and prosecution of persons for the violation of laws pertaining to the illegal manufacture, sale, distribution or possession of controlled substances and which makes application to the panel for reimbursement.

(e) Moneys remaining in the drug assets forfeiture revolving account at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund but shall remain in the revolving account to be used for the purposes set forth in this section.