Effective 28 Aug 1949

311.850. Action to replevin seized liquor, limitations, procedure — damages — appeals — sale of seized liquor — duties of prosecuting officials. — 1. Whenever any intoxicating liquor or other property of the value of fifty dollars or less is seized as contraband under any provision of the liquor control law by any officer, he shall give to the person from whom it is seized a receipt for said property. Any person claiming title to said property as owner or otherwise may at any time within sixty days of such seizure file a suit in replevin against the officer seizing said property. Said suit shall be heard by the court without a jury and conducted as any other suit in replevin is conducted except as otherwise provided in this chapter, but if the court shall adjudge the return of the property to the defendant or to some third party, the officer making the seizure shall not be liable for any costs or damages, unless the court shall find that said seizure was made maliciously and that said officer did not have probable cause to believe said property was contraband. If the court shall find that said seized property is contraband, he shall order it turned over to the supervisor of liquor control to be sold by him and the proceeds to be paid into the general revenue fund of the state.

2. Appeals shall be allowed from the judgment of the court as in other civil actions.

3. If no suit is filed within sixty days after the seizure of such property, the officer seizing said property shall turn it over to the supervisor of liquor control to be sold by him and the proceeds of the sale shall be paid into the general revenue fund of the state of Missouri. Whenever any liquor is sold by any officer which does not bear proper stamps of the director of revenue upon the containers, he shall, before selling it, obtain the proper excise stamps from the director of revenue and affix them to the containers of such liquor, and the cost thereof shall be returned to the officer out of the proceeds of the sale.

4. The supervisor of liquor control and his agents and any other officer authorized to make seizures of contraband property under the liquor control act are each hereby authorized and empowered to call upon the prosecuting attorneys of the respective counties and the circuit attorney of the city of St. Louis and the attorney general of the state of Missouri to represent them in any proceeding hereunder, and thereafter it shall be the duty of such prosecuting or circuit attorney or the attorney general to proceed on behalf of the officer making such call according to the provisions of this chapter.

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(L. 1949 p. 320 § 4917a)