People v. Mozes

Opinion

COFFEE, J.

The “Freeze and Seize Law” of Penal Code section 186.11 permits the court in certain white-collar criminal cases to take possession of assets under a defendant’s control and preserve them for the payment of restitution.1 (People v. Semaan (2007) 42 Cal.4th 79, 82 [64 Cal.Rptr.3d 1, 163 P.3d 949] (Semaan).) A person who claims an interest in frozen assets may seek their release by filing a verified claim with the superior court. (§ 186.11, subd. (e)(6).) Here, under the facts presented, we decide that the claims of white-collar crime victims have priority over a claimant with…