(a) If a probation department determines that the discharge of a person confined in a secure youth treatment facility from the control of the court at the time required by Section 875 would be physically dangerous to the public because of the person’s mental or physical condition, disorder, or other problem that causes the person to have serious difficulty controlling their dangerous behavior, the department shall request the prosecuting attorney to petition the committing court for an order directing that the person remain subject to the control of the department beyond that time. The petition shall be filed at least 90 days before the time of discharge otherwise required. The petition shall be accompanied by a written statement of the facts upon which the department bases its opinion that discharge at the time stated would be physically dangerous to the public, but the petition may not be dismissed and an order may not be denied merely because of technical defects in the application.
(b) The prosecuting attorney shall promptly notify the probation department of a decision not to file a petition.
(c) If a petition is filed with the court and, upon review, the court determines that the petition, on its face, supports a finding of probable cause, the court shall order that a hearing be held. The court shall provide notification of the hearing to the person whose liberty is involved and, if the person is a minor, the minor’s parent or guardian, if the minor’s parent or guardian can be reached, and, if not, the court shall appoint a person to act in the place of the parent or guardian and shall afford the person an opportunity to appear at the hearing with the aid of counsel and the right to cross-examine experts or other witnesses upon whose information, opinion, or testimony the petition is based. The court shall inform the person named in the petition of their right of process to compel attendance of relevant witnesses and the production of relevant evidence. When the person is unable to provide their own counsel, the court shall appoint counsel to represent them. The probable cause hearing shall be held within 10 calendar days after the date the order is issued pursuant to this subdivision unless the person named in the petition waives this time.
(d) At the probable cause hearing, the court shall receive evidence and determine whether there is probable cause to believe that discharge of the person would be physically dangerous to the public because of the person’s mental or physical condition, disorder, or other problem that causes the person to have serious difficulty controlling dangerous behavior. If the court determines there is not probable cause, the court shall dismiss the petition and the person shall be discharged from the control of a secure youth treatment facility at the time required by Section 875, as applicable. If the court determines there is probable cause, the court shall order that a trial be conducted to determine whether the person is physically dangerous to the public because of their mental or physical condition, disorder, or other problem.
(e) If a trial is ordered, the trial shall be by jury unless the right to a jury trial is personally waived by the person, after the person has been fully advised of the constitutional rights being waived, and by the prosecuting attorney, in which case trial shall be by the court. If the jury is not waived, the court shall cause a jury to be summoned and to be in attendance at a date stated, not less than 4 days nor more than 30 days from the date of the order for trial, unless the person named in the petition waives time. The court shall submit to the jury, or, at a court trial, the court shall answer, the following question: Is the person physically dangerous to the public because of a mental or physical condition, disorder, or other problem that causes the person to have serious difficulty controlling their dangerous behavior? The court’s previous order entered pursuant to this section shall not be read to the jury, nor alluded to in the trial. The person shall be entitled to all rights guaranteed under the federal and state constitutions in criminal proceedings. A unanimous jury verdict shall be required in any jury trial. As to either a court or a jury trial, the standard of proof shall be that of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
(f) If an order for continued detention is made pursuant to this section, the control of the department over the person shall continue, subject to the provisions of this article, but, unless the person is previously discharged as provided in Section 875, the department shall, within two years after the date of that order in the case of persons committed by the juvenile court, or within two years after the date of that order in the case of persons committed after conviction in criminal proceedings, file a new application for continued detention in accordance with the provisions of this section if continued detention is deemed necessary. These applications may be repeated at intervals as often as in the opinion of the department may be necessary for the protection of the public, except that the court shall have the power, in order to protect other persons in the custody of probation to refer the person for evaluation for civil commitment or to transfer the custody of any person over 25 years of age to the county adult probation authorities for placement in an appropriate institution. Each person shall be discharged from the control of the probation department at the termination of the period stated in this section unless the probation department has filed a new application and the court has made a new order for continued detention as provided above in this section.
(g) An order of the committing court made pursuant to this section is appealable by the person whose liberty is involved in the same manner as a judgment in a criminal case. The appellate court may affirm the order of the lower court, or modify it, or reverse it and order the appellant to be discharged. Pending appeal, the appellant shall remain under the control of the probation department.
(Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 18, Sec. 12. (SB 92) Effective May 14, 2021.)