A criminal defendant was convicted of various drug charges. The police confiscated a lot of drugs and $10,153.38 in cash from his hotel room. The man claimed he earned the cash by selling candy, cigarettes and sodas from his room. In forfeiture proceedings, he was awarded $12,601.33, which represents the money seized plus the interest actually earned while on deposit in an interest bearing account. On appeal, the man claims the trial court erred in failing to award him interest at the legal rate of seven percent per annum as specified in the California Constitution. The appellate court affirmed, applying Health and Safety Code §11469(i) which requires a seizing agency to preserve the value of seized property. The People v. Twelve Thousand Six Hundred One Dollars and Thirty-Three Cents (Cal. App. Second Dist., Div. 3; September 10, 2012) 209 Cal.App.4th 121.
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