For the Defense - Volume 2, Issue 3 - 2017 - 28

a motion for return of property during the criminal proceedings or within thirty days of dismissal resulted in a waiver of all claims to the seized
property. The Supreme Court rejected the en banc
Commonwealth Court's application of Pennsylvania's statutes of limitations to a Rule 588 motion,
under which a return of property motion could
be brought within six years pursuant to Pennsylvania's residuary limitation period.40 Instead, the
Supreme Court applied a strict waiver theory to a
return of property motion on the basis that the accused knew of and could have asserted a property claim in the criminal process or within the time
period that the court retained jurisdiction over
the criminal matter. The Court expressly limited its
holding to the facts of Allen in which the property owner and the accused were the same person.
Notably, the Court did not suggest what the proper filing deadline would be for a Rule 588 motion
brought by a property owner who is not accused
of the underlying crime.
Lawyers should assist clients in obtaining the
return of their seized property, especially when
long periods of time have elapsed since the seizure.

On its face, Rule 588 does not provide a deadline
for the filing of return of property motions41 and,
arguably, no statute of limitation speaks directly
to such a motion. The Commonwealth Court's application of Pennsylvania's six-year residuary statute of limitations provides persuasive authority
that, at a minimum, property owners who are not
accused of a crime should have six years in which
to seek the return of their property. To the extent
that prosecutors try to cut off claims at an earlier
point in time, this issue is ripe for appellate review.
It may also be argued that the Supreme Court's
holding in Allen should be reconsidered. Motions
seeking the return of property are civil proceedings
and should not be tied to time periods inherent in
the progress of a criminal case. The waiver theory
adopted by the Supreme Court in Allen reflects the
view of four justices, only one of whom remains
on the Court today.42 Justices Saylor and Todd both
dissented in Allen and their stated concerns for ensuring adequate safeguards in civil forfeiture suggest that the Supreme Court's current composition,
bolstered by the Court's recent unanimous decision
in Young, may invite a reexamination of substan-

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of For the Defense - Volume 2, Issue 3 - 2017

Table of Contents
For the Defense - Volume 2, Issue 3 - 2017 - 1
For the Defense - Volume 2, Issue 3 - 2017 - 2
For the Defense - Volume 2, Issue 3 - 2017 - Table of Contents
For the Defense - Volume 2, Issue 3 - 2017 - 4
For the Defense - Volume 2, Issue 3 - 2017 - 5
For the Defense - Volume 2, Issue 3 - 2017 - 6
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For the Defense - Volume 2, Issue 3 - 2017 - 58
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