SHERIFF AUCTIONS CARS, TRUCKS SATURDAY

The sheriff's auction will be held rain or shine Saturday at the McMinn
County Justice Center where vehicles and other property seized in drug or
DUI arrests will be sold to the highest bidder.

Sheriff Steve Frisbie said the selection of vehicles is broad and even
includes a boat and a six-wheel-drive "deuce-and-a-half" military truck.
"We have a decent selection of cars, two good pickup trucks and a fishing
boat with a trailer and 25-horsepower motor," Frisbie said.

Frisbie said the deuce-and-a-half had very low hours, was in good condition
and was all-terrain to the extreme.

Frisbie said people are already stopping by the Justice Center to get an
early look at the vehicles that will be placed on the auction block Saturday.

"Inspection day is all Friday afternoon," he said.

The seized vehicles come from drug and DUI arrests in cases that have been
disposed of in court and have passed the limit for appeals, Frisbie said.

Dean Howard & Daughters Auction Co., of Decatur, is conducting the auction,
which begins Saturday at 10 a.m., according to auctioneer Dean Howard.

The Sheriff's Department has 20 vehicles in the sale. The 10th Judicial
District Drug Task Force has four, and the city of Englewood has two
vehicles going up on the auction block, according to Chief Deputy Tim Smith.

Also included are several pieces of electronics equipment including AM/FM
radio cassette players, compact disc players, compact discs, speakers and
other electronic items, Smith said.

State law regulates the auction of seizure sales and 100 percent of the
sale price of a "drug car" sold at auction goes to the Sheriff's
Department's drug fund, while 70 percent of the sale price of a "DUI car"
goes to the seizing agency. The remaining 30 percent pays for the cost of
the auction itself and the remainder of that goes to the state, Frisbie said.

Money in the Sheriff's Department's drug fund is used for drug awareness
programs like D.A.R.E. and for equipment purchases and drug operations
conducted by the departments.

"Everyone must remember that a DUI offender can't purchase their own car
back," Frisbie said. "Some people always ask if they can buy back their
car, but it's against state law for us to allow them to buy it back."

Prospective bidders should be aware a 10 percent buyers premium is added to
the bid price and all items are sold as is, according to Howard.

"Everything goes," Frisbie said. "It should be a good sale."