SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Steve Fox (D-Palmdale) on Tuesday announced that his Assembly Bill (AB) 1607 received unanimous bipartisan support from the Assembly Public Safety Committee.
The bill revises the Sexual Violent Predator (SVP) Act to make the process of conditional release of these offenders more transparent and allow input from the areas most affected by their release.
“Courts have been allowed to make unilateral decisions about placing high risk parolees into other counties without including those communities in the conditional release process,” said Fox. “This bill will allow local courts and communities to retain control of sexual violent predators.”
AB 1607 is a technical revision to the Sexual Violent Predator Act and requires that a potential county of domicile for a sexual violent predator (county where the SVP is allegedly from and may be released back to) be given notice and an opportunity to be heard in court prior to determining the location where the SVP will be required to live.
Once the court determines domicile, the placement and conditional release will be supervised by the county of domicile – transferring the jurisdiction from one court to another.
This bill is in response to the case of Christopher Evans Hubbart, the so-called “Pillowcase Rapist” who was treated in Santa Clara County. Santa Clara was not required to inform Los Angeles County of the potential to conditionally release Hubbart in Lake Los Angeles until determining placement.
AB 1607 should simplify this process and allow the areas most affected by a conditional release to have a say in the process.
AB 1607 now moves to the Assembly Floor for consideration as early as next week.
(Information via press release from the office of Assemblymember Steve Fox .)
Previous related stories:
Courthouse prayer, candlelight vigil seeks to take back community
Movement to keep ‘Pillowcase Rapist’ away gains momentum
Residents rally to keep serial rapist away
‘Pillowcase Rapist’ may be released in Palmdale area
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Maria Paesano says
WOW. What amazes me is all these rallies and outcries over this one guy when this valley IS FULL of sexual predators many of which have been released BEFORE even doing their time because they are ” remorseful” or have ” mental health” issues ( ya think) or agree to go along with some rehabilitation ” mentoring” program. Where was Steve Fox or any of these other people then? Does anyone really know?
disgusted by loopholes says
How about a bill that stops a scum bag that has raped “approximately” 40 women from ever seeing the outside of a box? point blank.. period!
Emok says
Great news….thank you, Mr. Fox. Wonderful to see the engine run in 4th gear!
Street justice says
I do feel that this monster will get street justice. ..I feel that the judge wants to see him get street justice. …he will be safe in jail…and the community will be safe from him.
I am still collecting signatures to keep him out of the A.V.
I will not be a hostage in my community.
I will fight.
Racing True says
It was nice to see Mr Fox doing something good for the community. After getting a divorce filed through him, 2 1/2 years later-but finally done, I worried over what he could do in Sacramento, as OUR assemblyman.
I now live in the “Lancaster” area the “scum rapist”was to be released!!!. Having been the ” survivor” of quite a few sexual predators myself, with no help from authority figures after each event, I was livid when the subject came up a second time!!! We may live in a rural area, but it still contains women and children also who usually have to walk or ride bikes everywhere. Are we of less value than Palmdale or Encino citizens? He wouldn’t be released in either area. The day we start valuing our young, elderly and less able neighbors, is the day Lancaster becomes the town many of us see in our dreams.
Keep up the “good” work Mr Fox. We’re watching AND paying attention, as you do represent us right now!!!
Boston Rob says
“This bill will allow local courts and communities to retain control of sexual violent predators.” – so.. if this bill were in effect now, our community would have a say on if a sexual predator gets released in the AV? And what if we said no.. would we send him off to another community where that would certainly happen again? Don’t get me wrong, I have no sympathy for the sexual predator we all have on our might right now, but this bill will effect others who might deserve a second chance and who’s crimes were not so heinous, – people who have served their time and paid their debt, could stay in jail forever while in “limbo” when every community says “no” to their being released there.