GLENDALE : Wilson Backs Bill to Commit Violent Sex Offenders

Gov. Pete Wilson called Wednesday for quick action on a Glendale legislator’s bill calling for possible civil commitment of “sexually violent predators.”

“Any delay in moving this bill to my desk can only be considered a slap in the face to the many women who fall victim to vicious rapists each year,” Wilson said.

AB 888 was authored by Assemblyman James Rogan (R-Glendale) and is part of Wilson’s 1995 crime legislation.

The bill would require that the director of corrections, if it is determined that a sex offender under the department’s jurisdiction may be a violent predator, take the following actions at least six months before the inmate’s scheduled date of release from prison or termination of parole: refer the person for evaluation, and, under certain circumstances, request that a petition for civil commitment be filed so that a jury may determine if the offender should be released or placed in a secure treatment facility.

The bill has cleared the Assembly’s Public Safety Committee. The Legislature last year failed to pass Wilson’s sponsored legislation on the same topic.