Title LX, Correction and Punishment

I. The attorney general, no later than 120 days after the close of the fiscal year, shall post a report on the department of justice website detailing state forfeiture activity, for the preceding fiscal year, including the type, approximate value, and disposition of each property…

The person making or directing a seizure pursuant to RSA 617:1 shall, without unnecessary delay, file a libel before a district court or a municipal court in towns and cities in which there is such court if the property does not exceed in value $500, and in other cases in the off…

Upon the filing, before or after seizure, of a libel for a forfeiture, a warrant shall be issued to the proper officer, requiring him to take such property into his custody and to detain it until it is legally disposed of.

Notice of the libel shall be given to the owner, if known; otherwise, a notice shall be published to all persons interested, to appear at the time and place appointed for trial, and to show cause why a decree of forfeiture should not be passed.

In addition to any other remedy provided by law, any person claiming to be an innocent owner of property seized for purposes of forfeiture may petition the court, after 10 days from the date of seizure, for return of the property. No item or property interest shall be subject to …

If a person interested shall appear and claim the property, it may be sold by consent of the parties or upon examination and certificate of its perishable nature or of its being expensive to keep, as in case of sale of like property attached, unless it is provided by law that it …

If the claimant requests it, the property may be appraised and delivered to him in the same manner as property attached, upon his giving bond to pay to the persons entitled thereto the appraised value thereof, and costs, in case a decree of forfeiture is made.

The case may be tried by a jury, if in the superior court, upon the request of either party, otherwise by the court; and, the cause of forfeiture alleged being proved, the court or justice shall make a decree for the forfeiture and disposition of the property and a distribution o…

Costs may be awarded to the libelant if a reasonable cause for seizure appears, in which shall be included the necessary expenses of the seizure, detention and sale of the property; otherwise, reasonable costs and damages shall be awarded to the claimant.

An appeal may be claimed by either party from a decree made by a justice of a district court or municipal court in the same manner as in other civil actions, and like proceedings may be had therein as in the case of libels originally filed in the superior court.