Report On the Death of Donald Scott:
by Ventura County CA District Attorney Michael Bradbury
Appendix D: Letter from Assistant D.A. Kevin DeNoce

Compiled for the Internet by Forfeiture Endangers American Rights
Foundation
______________________________________________________


OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY
County of Ventura, State of California
Michael D. Bradbury, District Attorney


March 31, 1993



 TO:          DISTRIBUTION LIST

FROM:    KEVIN G. DE NOCE,
 DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

SUBJECT: FORFEITURE MOTIVE INVOLVED IN THE TRAIL'S END
              RANCH SEARCH WARRANT

Following the release of our report on March 30, 1993, regarding
the death of Donald Scott, significant public concern has focused
on the fact that at least one of the motivating factors in
obtaining the search warrant was to forfeit the Trail's End
Ranch.  The basis for our opinion regarding the apparent
forfeiture motive on the part of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs
Department, and in particular, Deputy Sheriff Gary Spencer, is
set forth on pages 15-16 and 34-35 of our report.

         Prior to the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement
         officers involved in the search warrant discussed the
         possibility of seizing and forfeiting the Trail's End Ranch. 
         National Park Service Ranger Tim Simonds states that, prior to
         serving the search warrant, a Los Angeles County deputy sheriff
         stated that the ranch would be seized if they found 14 or more
         plants growing on the grounds.  Additionally, according to
         Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement Agent Greg McClung, someone at
         the briefing said that they would look into seizing the property
         if marijuana plants were found.  Two deputies from the Los
         Angeles County Sheriff's Department Forfeiture Unit (Donna
         Copplin and Joyce Joblonsky) participated in the execution of
         the search warrant.  Their assigned duty is to seize and forfeit
         assets and property related to narcotics violations.

Additional evidence which was not included in our report but
released to Los Angeles County Sheriff Block and select others as
part of the investigation file supports the conclusion that
forfeiture of the property was at least one of the motivating
factors for obtaining the search warrant.  On September 2, 1992,
at a briefing conducted by the Los Angeles County Sheriffs
Department regarding the investigation of the Trail's End Ranch,
officers present received documents which included a property
appraisal statement of the Trail's End Ranch and a parcel map of
the area.  Both of these documents are attached.  DEA Special
Agent Charles A. Stowell, who made the aerial flyover, made a
notation on the parcel map indicating that the property
encompassed 200 acres and that 80 acres "in the area" had
recently sold for $800,000.

We can find no reason why law enforcement officers who were
investigating suspected narcotics violations would have any
interest in the value of the Trail's End Ranch or the value of
property sold in the same area other than ff they had a motive to
forfeit that property.  As discussed in our report, although
there may be other explanations for this , information, it is our
opinion that the most reasonable explanation is that the law
enforcement officers involved in the preparation of the search
warrant were motivated, in part, by a desire to forfeit a
valuable piece of property.