New California bill proposes law change to stop transient release of sexually violent predators
ROCKLIN -- Outrage in Placer County over the placement of a legally designated sexually violent predator (SVP) was met with a possible solution Friday put forward by Republican Assemblyman Joe Patterson of Rocklin.
Patterson introduced a new bill looking to ban all release of SVPs as transients into California communities. He wants to strengthen the definition of acceptable housing when these offenders are released from state hospitals after they complete their mandated treatment.
"If they are going to be released, they have to be released in a way that is not going to jeopardize public safety. Transient status does jeopardize public safety," he said. "What this bill would do is it would define what a qualified 'house' is when they are released."
Patterson said the transient release of SVPs to date has been a misinterpretation of the existing law, which is why he argues more strict definitions of what constitutes housing are needed.
"The legislature never intended going back decades to allow transient releases of SVPs. It never would have been allowed," he said. "The state has allowed this to happen for too long."
The bipartisan-backed bill is in response to months of heated debate across Placer County about the release of SVP William Stephenson.
Concerned community members, the Placer County sheriff and the Placer County District Attorney's Office have all fought vigorously against Stephenson's court-ordered transient release into the county.
"It's a complete failure by the state," Patterson said.
Stephenson is a repeat sexual offender whose crimes span decades, as is well documented in court records.
Even though Stephenson's convictions dating back to the 1990s were in El Dorado County, the California Department of State Hospitals housed him in Placer County when he was conditionally released as an SVP for the first time in 2014.
He was re-arrested in Roseville for possession of child pornography in 2017 and is now eligible for release again.
"Frankly, I wish they were never released. This type of behavior and these actions are hideous," Placer County resident Wayne Nader said at a hearing last week concerning Stephenson's placement.
Last year, officials tried to place Stephenson in a vacant home in Amador County. Next door to the home, the Urenda family shared with CBS13 their outrage.
"I don't see how somebody with that history and those crimes has more rights than we do," Marcia Urenda said. Paul Urenda added, "My grandchildren, my wife, if I leave them here, he can see when I come and go. It's just frightening."
A judge stopped it, ruling Stephenson would instead have to be released in Placer County, where his most recent crimes were committed. However, state contractors say they have been unsuccessful in finding Stephenson suitable housing there.
For this reason, the court granted Stephenson release as a transient with an RV or vehicle.
An investigation by CBS13 investigative reporter Julie Watts found that the state acknowledged in court that SVPs on transient release fail half of the time.
"Fifty percent of them fail. Why would we continue to allow that?" Patterson asked.
Court documents reveal that Stephenson himself, in his own defense, told a judge if lawmakers think transient release is not safe, they should write that language into the law.
Patterson now brings forward the push to make it happen.
"William Stephenson really highlighted a gap in the law that we need to clarify to make sure it doesn't happen this time or any other time in the future," Patterson said.
The question remains: Could the proposed law actually impact Stephenson's pending release? Stephenson has been up for release for a year and a half now, and this bill was only just introduced.
Patterson admitted that under normal circumstances, the soonest this bill could become law, if passed, would be January 2025.
"I've thought about adding an urgency clause which would make it take effect immediately, but that's still several months out," he said.
Again, the bill still has to be voted on and passed. Patterson told CBS13 that it already has bipartisan support and he is confident the California Assembly will rally behind it.
The soonest it could be heard by the committee is in late February or early March.
"My goal is to get enough steam on it right now so the judge can see the legislature really does not want this to happen," Patterson said.
The conversation continues surrounding Stephenson's transient release on Monday, February 5 with yet another public hearing in Placer County.