# Amicus Curiae Brief — United States v. Bajakajian

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URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/brief%3Amicro_IA40385014_0060%3A7

## Record

- **Collection:** Supreme Court brief
- **Document type:** Amicus Curiae Brief
- **Published:** January 1, 1998
- **Citation:** 524 U.S. 321

## Text

No. 96-1487

In THE
- SuPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
‘OCTOBER TERM, 1996

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Petitioner,

Vv.

HOSEP KRIKOR BAJAKAJIAN,
Respondent.

On Writ of Certiorari to the United States Court of
| “esa for the Ninth Circuit

‘BRIEF OF CLARENDON FOUNDATION AS
AenCos CURIAE IN SUPPORT OF RESPONDENT

RONALD D. MAINES
(Counsel of Record)
R. SHAWN GUNNARSON

. MAINES & LOEB, PLLC
2300 M Street, N.W.
Washington,

D.C. 20037

(202) 223-2817

Counsel for Amicus Curiae

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
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INTEREST OF AMICUS CURIAE ooo.ooooooccccccccccccccccccoseeocoose l
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I. THE GOVERNMENT’S INTERPRETATION OF
18 U.S.C. § 982(a)(1) INVITES THE IMPOSITION OF
UNCONSTITUTIONALLY EXCESSIVE FINES BY
THREATENING TO FORFEIT LAWFULLY OBTAINED
MONEY FROM MINIMALLY CULPABLE DEFEN-
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A. Criminal Forfeitures Imposed Under 18 U.S.C.
§ 982(a)(1) Are Limited by the Excessive Fines
RECENT Eel SASS 4

B. Because the Government’s Interpretation of 18
U.S.C. § 982(a)(1) Would Permit the Forfeiture
of Lawfully Obtained Funds from Defendants
Lacking Mens Rea, the Risk of Constitutional
Violation Is Heightemed. ooo... cccccccccsceccesees 5

C. The Government’s Interpretation of 18 U.S.C. §
982(a)(1) Substantially Increases the Risk that
Unconstitutionally Excessive Fines Will Be
MNES tL a a 8

Il. THE GOVERNMENT’S POSITION WOULD REMOVE
AN INDISPENSABLE CHECK ON THE
GOVERNMENT’S ABUSE OF CRIMINAL FORFEI-
TURE BY ALL BUT ELIMINATING JUDICIAL
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TABLE OF AUTHORITIES

Cases Page

Alexander v. United States, 509 U.S. 544

(2) ee ee 5,8
Austin v. United States, 509 U.S. 602 (1993) ..... passim
Browning-Ferris Industries v. Kelco Disposal,

492 U.S. 297 (29GB) ..cccccrocessrccvcosesorerevesvoososssososssseees 4,12
Caplin & Drysdale, Chartered v. United
States, 491 U.S. 617 (1989) .....crececscsrsrsscersresersersssesses 13

Harmelin v. Michigan, 501 U.S. 957 (1991) ........ 10, 12
Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. (1 Cranch) 137

EEE Reccescessetanttideninelialaaaaaaaaenneanl 10, 11
Solem v. Helm, 463 U.S. 277 (1983) ccc 2,9, 10
United States v. $359,500 in United States

Currency, 828 F.2d 930 (2d Cir. 1987) occ 6
United States v. $94,000.00 in United States

Currency, 2 F.3d 778 (7th Cir, 1993) o.ccccccceceeee 6,7
United States v. Bajakajian, 84 F.3d 334
(Deta Cig. 19D6) ...coccccccesecorscsesccssecssssssnnnnniel ES Seer 3

United States v. Certain Real Property Located
at 11869 Westshore Drive, 70 F.3d 923 (6th

+2 | | ) EEE eee x
United States v. Chandler, 36 F.3d 358 (4th

+ |, ) eee x
United States v. Halper, 490 U.S. 435 (1989) .........00 4
United States v. Milbrand, 58 F.3d 841 (2d

0 |). ) EE ee %

United States v. One (1) Lot of Twenty-Four

Thousand Nine Hundred Dollars ($24,

900.00) in United States Currency, 770 F.2d

1530 CER Cle. 19CE) cncccccrcccscccecsssnsseninnistsenensesescensrsnsnnshs 6
United States v. One Hundred Twenty-Two

Thousand Forty-Three Dollars ($122,043.00)

in United States Currency, 792 F.2d 1470

(Dele Che. 1986) ..cccccocosocccscccscerscossssenssnnmesssseessnesnnnenscesesstats 6
United States v. Ramsey, 431 U.S. 606 (1977) ............ 12

United States v. Real Property Located in El

Dorado County, 59 F.3d 974, 985-86 (9th
Cir. 1995)

United States v. Twenty Thousand Seven
Hundred Fifty-Seven Dollars and Eighty-
Three Cents ($20,757.83) Canadian Cur-
rency, 769 F.2d 479 (8th Cir. 1985)

Yee v. Escondido, 503 U.S. 519 (1992)

Constitutional and Statutory Provisions

18 U.S.C. § 9B2(a)(L) cooccccccccccccccessesseseeeeeeeeeeeeee
31 U.S.C. § 5316(a)(L)(A) coocccccccccccccccccsssssomoeee

U.S. Const. amend. VIII (Excessive Fines
Clause)

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Other Materials

THE FEDERALIST (Jacob E. Cooke ed., 1961)
| GEORGE MASON, THE PAPERS OF GEORGE
MASON, 1725-1792 (R. Rutland ed. 1970)

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6

Pursuant to Sup. CT. R. 37.6, Clarendon Foundation
states that no counsel for a party authored this brief in
whole or in part, and that no person or entity other than
Clarendon Foundation, its members, and counsel, made a
monetary contribution to the preparation or submission of
the brief.

INTEREST OF AMICUS CURIAE

Pursuant to Rule 37.3 of this Court, Clarendon
Foundation respectfully submits this brief amicus curiae
in support of Respondent. Written consent to the filing
of this brief has been granted by counsel for all parties,
and letters of consent have been lodged with the Clerk.
Clarendon Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan legal
foundation concerned with significant issues related to
the Constitution and democratic government. The
Foundation is committed to an ongoing review of the
tenets of our constitutional government, in the spirit of
George Mason’s admonition that “no free government,
or the blessings of liberty, can be preserved to any people,
but .. . by frequent recurrence to fundamenta! principles.”
GEORGE MASON, THE VIRGINIA DECLARATION OF RIGHTS,
reprinted in | THE PAPERS OF GEORGE MASON, 1725-
1792, at 278 (R. mitted,

RONALD D. MAINES
(Counsel of Record)

R. SHAWN GUNNARSON
MAINES & LOEB, PLLC
2300 M Street, N.W.
Suite 900

Washington, D.C. 20037
(202) 223-2817

September 2, 1997

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/brief%3Amicro_IA40385014_0060%3A7. Public record. Not legal advice.