MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) - A Delaware circuit judge has ordered the Muncie-Delaware County Drug Task Force to return more than $25,000 that was seized from a drug suspect and spent in apparent violation of a court order.

Judge John Feick says the transfer violated his court order to freeze the assets. The task force seized the money under a confidential agreement signed by county Prosecutor Mark McKinney.

McKinney says if there was a violation, it was an "honest mistake."

Another circuit judge, Richard Dailey, is investigating the handling of drug forfeitures by the task force and McKinney and has proposed new rules for such seizures.

The Star Press reports that McKinney has defended the group's use of confidential agreements without court orders.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)