Minneapolis and St. Paul Vehicle Forfeiture Lawyer
Vehicle forfeiture can occur when a car is involved in a range of alleged violations and felonies, including the transportation of drugs, the hiring of prostitutes and the fleeing from a police officer. Vehicle forfeiture, however, occurs most commonly in relation to felony DUI and DWI charges. The state of Minnesota can seek to impound your vehicle in relation to a DUI or DWI charge if your latest violation:
- Occurs within 10 years of at least two prior convictions
- Is the second offense within 10 years and your blood alcohol concentration is higher than .20
- Occurs with a blood alcohol concentration of .20 and a child is endangered
- Is your second offense and a child is endangered
- Occurs while your license has been cancelled
The criminal defense law firm of Charles A. Ramsay & Associates, PLLC has handled vehicle forfeiture cases since 1995 and has successfully recovered hundreds of vehicles.
We can argue that prior offenses not be included when tabulating offense counts and timelines, thus reducing your felony to a misdemeanor and freeing your vehicle from impound. We can make sure that the short deadlines governing filing for the return of your vehicle are met. And because vehicle forfeiture is a civil and not a criminal matter, we can use civil legal processes to work to prove your innocence and demonstrate police error. Civil legal processes include deposing the police officers who are often unreachable in a criminal matter.
Working to Change Harsh Vehicle Forfeiture Laws.
In addition to fighting to recover vehicles for our accused clients, we work to change Minnesota's severe and inflexible forfeiture laws. In Genin v. 1996 Mercury Marquis, we successfully fought the state's right to charge storage fees for impounded cars even when the accused was found innocent. After this victory, we were able to inform our innocent client that his accuser, the city of Centerville, would be covering these costs.
Contact Us
If you have questions regarding a seized car, call a law firm committed to protecting your rights. We offer free initial phone consultations, accept credit cards, are available for evening and weekend appointments and charge affordable and competitive rates. Call anytime — our phones are answered 24 hours a day. Our office is conveniently located across from the Rosedale Center on Highway 36. To contact an experienced attorney, call 612-326-5602 or 866-929-4387.
