People v. Superior Court (Plascencia)

Opinion

ALDRICH, J.

Petitioners the People of the State of California seek a writ of mandate directing the Los Angeles County Superior Court to (1) set aside its ruling that claimant and real party in interest Maria Plascencia has established standing to challenge the forfeiture of $68,317 seized by the government as the proceeds of drug dealing; and (2) to make factual findings on the question of Plascencia’s ownership of the money. The People’s petition raises the issue of how a claimant’s standing, i.e., his or her legally cognizable interest in seized property, should be litigated in…