Drug Interdiction and Civil Forfeiture

Tennessee Drug Charges and Vehicle Confiscation

In many state and federal drug cases, you not only have to face criminal charges, but you also stand to lose substantial property--motor vehicles, real estate, or even cash--in a separate civil proceeding, based on the assumption that your property represents the proceeds of illegal drug sales, or that it was used in connection with a controlled substance offense. If you have been stopped at a checkpoint for drugs, and had cash or other property confiscated as part of a civil forfeiture case, contact a Nashville criminal defense attorney at Hollins, Wagster, Weatherly & Raybin, P.C.

Our lawyers have achieved highly favorable results in many drug interdiction cases based on traffic stops anywhere in the Interstate 40 corridor between Memphis and Nashville. In some cases, we are able to prove that the traffic stop was defective based on the failure of the officers operating the checkpoint to conduct stops and searches in a constitutionally permissible manner. In other cases, we can demonstrate that racial profiling played an important role in the decision to target a particular vehicle for law enforcement attention. Proof of a legitimate source for the confiscated cash or property will also generally defeat the civil forfeiture case, whether or not drug charges are also filed against you.

The criminal defense lawyers who are members of our firm are all AV-rated* attorneys who average more than 30 years of legal experience each. Our practical understanding of the drug interdiction and civil forfeiture processes can represent a significant advantage for you in recovering confiscated cash, an impounded vehicle, or other property. If criminal drug charges are also filed against you, our experience can help you in that case as well.

For additional information about our ability to help you in a civil forfeiture case related to a stop and search for illegal drugs, contact a knowledgeable criminal defense lawyer at Hollins, Wagster, Weatherly & Raybin.

* CV, BV, and AV are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties, Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards, and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell Ratings evaluate two categories - legal ability and general ethical standards.