Other LanguagesSPOKANE — At a trial beginning today, prosecutors from Attorney General Bob Ferguson's Sexually Violent Predator Unit (SVP) will allege that a Spokane man is a sexually violent predator who poses a danger to the community and should remain in custody.
James Jones, 62, was convicted in 1997 of two sexually violent offenses involving a child. After nearly 16 years in prison, Jones was scheduled for community release in February 2013. To prevent his release, Attorney General Ferguson's SVP prosecutors asked the court to commit Jones to the state’s Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island. Since then, Jones has been at McNeil Island awaiting trial.
Jones’s trial begins today in Spokane County Superior Court, and is expected to last about two weeks. The state’s civil commitment petition makes allegations that have not yet been proven in a court of law. The State of Washington has the burden to prove any and all of its allegations in court.
In 1990, Washington became the first state in the nation to pass a law permitting the involuntary civil commitment of sex offenders after they serve their criminal sentences. Washington’s Sexually Violent Predator law allows the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) to petition for the civil commitment of violent sex offenders who, because of a mental abnormality and/or personality disorder, are proven likely to engage in predatory acts of sexual violence if released.
The AGO’s SVP Unit, established shortly after the law's passage, is responsible for prosecuting sex predator cases for 38 of Washington’s 39 counties (King County being the exception).
"We work hard to keep our communities safe from predators," said Attorney General Ferguson.
In Fiscal Year 2014, the SVP unit tried 14 cases, won 9 civil commitments and secured one recommitment. Three trials ended in hung juries and one trial involved an offender who didn’t meet the criteria to be committed as a sexually violent predator.
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The Office of the Attorney General is the chief legal office for the state of Washington with attorneys and staff in 27 divisions across the state providing legal services to roughly 200 state agencies, boards and commissions. Attorney General Bob Ferguson is working hard to protect consumers and seniors against fraud, keep our communities safe, protect our environment and stand up for our veterans. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.
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Alison Dempsey-Hall, Acting Communications Director