On May 1, 2014, the Montgomery County Circuit Court ordered the County to return $83,000 seized from Houlon Berman’s client after a drug raid at her home.

As a result of the raid, the client had been charged with felony drug charges, which were eventually dismissed, but the County continued to pursue forfeiture of the seized funds. In the forfeiture proceedings, Houlon Berman argued that the County failed to follow proper procedures under the forfeiture law and were unable to prove that the money was either proceeds from drug transactions or an instrumentality in a drug crime.

The Court agreed and ordered the County to return the funds immediately to Houlon Berman’s client.

– Representation by Managing Partner, Richard A. Finci