News from the Senate Majority
Alaska State Legislature

Wendy Lindskoog, Senate Majority Press Secretary
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801-1182
Phone: 907/465-4582
http://www.akrepublicans.org
Broadcast Actualities: 800/478-6540

Senate Votes to Detain Dangerous Sexual Predators

For Immediate Release: April 29, 1998 Contact: Senator Rick Halford at (907) 465-4958.

Juneau – The Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 216, sponsored by Senator Rick Halford (R-Chugiak), giving the state legal power to prevent the release of dangerous sexual predators who have not been rehabilitated and are almost guaranteed to re-offend.

"This bill gives our state a necessary tool for keeping society’s most despicable sexual predators behind bars and off the streets where they can repeat victimization of women and children," said Halford.

Senate Bill 216 provides for the Civil Commitment of Sexual Predators. Civil Commitment is a non-criminal procedure that could only be accomplished following a civil trial, in which the court or jury finds that person is a sexually violent predator using the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard.

SB 216 is modeled after Kansas’ statute, which was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Writing for the majority on the Hendricks v. Kansas case, Justice Thomas said that "the United States has a long history of providing for the forced civil detention of people who pose a threat to the public health or safety."

"Confining the state’s most dangerous sexual predators, such as pedophiles, is just one more way we can limit the number of potential victims and the trail of destroyed lives these kind of offenders cause," Halford said.

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Broadcast Note: Radio actuality available at (800) 478-6540.
= Rick Halford, 28 K