In United States v. Ursery (1996) 518 U.S. 267, the United States Supreme Court considered the relationship between punishment and civil forfeiture, holding that the double jeopardy clause of the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution did not preclude "the Government from both punishing a defendant for a criminal offense and forfeiting his property for that same offense in a separate civil proceeding." ( Id. at p. 270.) "The high court held that, unlike an in personam penalty such as a fine that may constitute punishment, the in rem civil forfeiture of property there at issue never has been considered punitive within the meaning of the double jeopardy clause. The court examined the history of in rem civil forfeitures and observed that, from the earliest times, such forfeitures have been allowed in addition to any related criminal penalties. Ultimately, the court employed a two-part test, asking whether Congress intended the forfeiture proceedings to be criminal or civil, and then considering 'whether the proceedings are so punitive in fact as to "persuade us that the forfeiture proceedings may not legitimately be viewed as civil in nature," despite Congress' intent. . . .' . . . Employing this test, the court upheld the civil in rem forfeiture in that case, stating: 'In rem civil forfeiture is a remedial civil sanction, distinct from potentially punitive in personam civil penalties such as fines, and does not constitute a punishment under the Double Jeopardy Clause.' "