372.9901  Seizure of illegal devices; disposition; appraisal; forfeiture.--

(1)  Any vehicle, vessel, animal, gun, light, or other hunting device used in the commission of an offense prohibited by s. 372.99, shall be seized by the arresting officer, who shall promptly make return of the seizure and deliver the property to the Director of the Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission. The return shall describe the property seized and recite in detail the facts and circumstances under which it was seized, together with the reason that the property was subject to seizure. The return shall also contain the names of all persons known to the officer to be interested in the property.

(2)  The director of the commission, upon receipt of the property, shall promptly fix its value and make return thereof to the clerk of the circuit court of the county wherein the article was seized; after which on proper showing of ownership of the property by someone other than the person arrested the property shall be returned to the said owner.

(3)  Upon conviction of the violator, the property, if owned by the person convicted, shall be forfeited to the state under the procedure set forth in ss. 372.312 through 372.318, where not inconsistent with this section. All amounts received from the sale or other disposition of the property shall be paid into the State Game Trust Fund or into the commission's Federal Law Enforcement Trust Fund as provided in s. 372.107, as applicable. If the property is not sold or converted, it shall be delivered to the director of the Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission.

History.--s. 1, ch. 65-340; s. 3, ch. 98-391.