Hughes v. State Department of Safety

OPINION

CANTRELL, Judge.

The primary question involved in this appeal is whether a vehicle used in a trip to purchase marijuana for the vehicle owner’s personal use is subject to forfeiture under Tenn.Code Ann. § 53-ll-409(a)(4) (Supp. 1988).

In December of 1986, about 2:30 one morning, an officer of the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department inspected a blue Mazda truck parked at a grocery store in Nolensville. After seeing a hand-rolled cigarette and a plastic bag containing a green substance inside the truck, the officer got into the truck and found small amounts of marijuana in four separate…