Did you know that the State can forfeit your vehicle when you are convicted of a certain crime?
This means that the State takes ownership and possession of the vehicle used to commit the crime.
Under Minnesota Law (§ 609.5312, subd. 4), vehicles can include cars, snowmobiles, motorboats, and other off-road recreational vehicles. These motor vehicles are subject to forfeiture by the State, or one of its agencies, if it was (1) used to commit the crime of fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle and (2) endangered life or property.
What is fleeing in a motor vehicle? (§ 609.487)
- To “flee” in a vehicle means to (1) increase speed, (2) extinguish vehicle headlights or taillights, (3) refuse to stop a vehicle, or (4) use other means with the intent to attempt to elude a police officer following a signal given to you by the police officer to pull over or stop,
- The driver attempted to or did in fact flee an officer acting in the lawful discharge of an official duty, and
- The driver knows or should reasonably know that it was a police officer that was trying to stop or pull them over.
Once in violation, the driver faces not only felony charges, but subjects their license to revocation and their vehicle to forfeiture by the State.