Photo: Stock Image
Originally Published By: Amador County Sheriff’s Office
“Amador County District Attorney Todd Riebe announced that Placer Superior Court Judge Garen J. Horst issued a ruling today vacating his December 5, 2022 finding of “extraordinary circumstances” selecting Amador County as a proposed placement for sexually violent predator (SVP) William Stephenson and requiring that the placement process be conducted in compliance with the new law, SB Stephenson and requiring that the placement process be conducted in compliance with the new law, SB 1034 (Atkins), which took effect January 1, 2023. The placement hearing set for April 7, 2023, was likewise vacated. Riebe said that the court also ordered that he have access to all of the documents he had requested regarding the Placer County housing search for SVP Stephenson, including court minute orders from all hearings, motions by parties, declarations, briefing and information regarding what community connection Stephenson has, if any, with Amador.
During the hearing, the court directed the continued search within Placer County for suitable mobile home and single family dwellings, and requested Liberty Healthcare create a transient status release plan for Stephenson as an option. Stephenson’s counsel noted that Stephenson fears for his safety in Amador and has other concerns regarding the Amador placement. However, Stephenson and other participants in the housing search wanted to retain the Amador County Site should it become necessary. At the hearing, Riebe pointed out his concerns with the former proposed Amador placement to include: its location next to an approved school bus stop which is literally located at the foot of the driveway; its location adjacent to BLM land where people of all ages hike, play, picnic, and RTV; its location next to neighboring properties wherein 10 children reside; spotty cell phone and GPS service in the area, including frequent power outages; long 911 response times; limited law enforcement resources; distance from Liberty Healthcare supervising staff, and a lack of mental health resources adequate to address Stephenson’s significant needs.
“The Placer court’s rulings today place Amador back to where we were prior to the December 5th hearing. That is good news,” Riebe said. “It allows the search for suitable housing for SVP Stephenson to continue within Placer County. It finally gives us the information we have been seeking so that we can prepare should Amador ever be selected as a proposed placement location. And it gives us valuable time to mobilize and develop a plan to fight against any future placement of SVP Stephenson or any other SVP within our community.”
