Q: Do officers have to release my intellectual property (images) after car is impounded? Can they hold them from me?
I was pulled over for having a license plate light out and issued a DUI. I was not arrested but car was towed and impounded, and later searched. I have contacted them several times about getting my hard drives and computer out of the car because I am a professional photographer and I'm already losing money, both physically by paying back clients for not having their images and also potentially by canceling shoots and clients. I was never given the chance for a post storage hearing and didn't get issued the notice at all they have 48 hrs to send by certified mail. They will not allow me to have my intellectual property until I pay the impound fee which is $600 due to them towing the car from the town I got pulled over in to another town over 60 miles away. I cant pay the fee until I have the images or my photographic equipment which were all in the car also. That is my means of making money. There is upwards of $10000 of equipment in the vehicle that had nothing to do with the DUI.
A: Contact an attorney experienced in DUI in the county where you are charged. You'll need him for the DUI and she can advise you on this aspect. They'll work out payments.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
