Other LanguagesOLYMPIA—Senior Counsel Malcolm Ross with the Attorney General's Office Sexually Violent Predator Unit won a civil commitment case that prevents the release of a dangerous sexually violent predator back into Lewis County.
On Friday, July 5, after a six-day trial and a day and a half of deliberation, a jury in Lewis County Superior Court ruled that Mark T. Robinson will remain confined at the state’s Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island indefinitely.
Robinson, 46, was convicted in 2000 of kidnapping in the second degree and rape in the first degree, after sexually assaulting a young mother in Lewis County who accepted a ride in his semi. When he was arrested for those crimes, Robinson admitted having raped up to 60 women, usually prostitutes, at knifepoint. He was previously convicted of soliciting a prostitute and being armed with an illegal knife in 1998. He was scheduled for release on March 12, 2012.
The state’s expert reviewed roughly 2,200 pages of records and interviewed Robinson for more than three hours. Based on his evaluation, he found Robinson suffers from a mental abnormality that causes him “serious difficulty controlling his sexually violent behavior” and he is more likely than not to commit a predatory act of sexual violence if not confined in a secure facility.
“Mark Robinson is a danger to the state and to the community,” said Attorney General Bob Ferguson. “Our office works hard to protect our communities from violent sexual predators.”
The SVP Unit was established in 1990 following enactment of the state’s sexually violent predator law, which permits the involuntary civil commitment of sex offenders who, because of a mental abnormality and/or personality disorder, are likely to commit predatory acts of sexual violence if released to the community.
The unit is responsible for prosecuting sex predator cases for 38 of Washington’s 39 counties (King County being the exception). In Fiscal Year 2013, the unit tried 19 cases, won 16 civil commitments and secured one recommitment. One trial ended in a hung jury and one offender was acquitted by a jury.
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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.
Contacts:
- Janelle Guthrie, Director of Communications, (360) 586-0725
- Alison Dempsey-Hall, Dep. Communications Director, (206) 641-1335