Asset forfeiture: human trafficking.

Assembly Member Nguyen's legislation expands California's asset forfeiture provisions in human trafficking cases, removing the current limitation that applies only to cases involving minors. The bill allows courts to order the forfeiture of vehicles, boats, airplanes, money, securities, real property, and other assets used to facilitate human trafficking involving commercial sex acts, regardless of the victim's age.

The legislation establishes specific procedures for asset seizure and forfeiture while maintaining existing protections for innocent property owners. Courts must provide notice to all parties with potential property interests and hold hearings before issuing seizure orders. The bill preserves exemptions for family residences, properties with uninvolved co-owners, and vehicles that serve as a family's sole means of transportation. When forfeiture is ordered, property holders with valid liens or security interests retain rights to recover their financial stakes through payment arrangements or public auction proceeds.

Under the amended provisions, prosecutors must follow detailed notification requirements when petitioning for forfeiture, including registered mail delivery or newspaper publication when direct notice proves impossible. For real property cases, prosecutors must record a lis pendens to alert potential buyers of pending forfeiture actions. Courts may appoint receivers to manage seized assets and issue temporary restraining orders to prevent property transfers during proceedings. The legislation maintains the current framework for distributing forfeited assets between state and local agencies according to existing statutory formulas.