Other LanguagesSPOKANE —The Washington Attorney General’s Office filed a petition last week in Spokane County Superior Court seeking to civilly commit a sex offender and prevent his release into the community.
Travis Fields, 37, was convicted of two sexually violent offenses: attempted first-degree child molestation in 1993, and second-degree child molestation in 2008. Fields was sentenced to seven years, three months in prison for the 2008 conviction.
Fields was due to be released on March 21, but the Attorney General’s Office petitioned to have him committed, alleging that he is mentally ill and sexually dangerous. On March 19, a judge found probable cause to believe Fields is a sexually violent predator, a preliminary ruling which allows the state to detain him for further proceedings.
Washington’s Sexually Violent Predator law allows the state Attorney General’s Office 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 civil commitment petition consists of allegations that have not yet been proven in a court of law. The State of Washington has the burden to prove the allegations in court.
“The Attorney General’s Office works hard to prevent the release of dangerous sexually violent offenders into our communities,” said Attorney General Bob Ferguson.
In 1990, Washington became the first state in the nation to pass a law permitting the involuntary civil commitment of sex offenders after they have served their criminal sentences. The Attorney General’s SVP Unit was established shortly thereafter.
The AGO SVP unit is responsible for prosecuting sex predator cases for 38 of Washington’s 39 counties (King County being the exception). In Fiscal Year 2014, the unit tried 14 cases, won 9 civil commitments and secured one recommitment. Three trials ended in hung juries, meaning the offenders can remain incarcerated pending new trials, and one trial involved an offender who did not meet criteria to be committed as a sexually violent predator.
As of March 2015, 292 sexually violent predators are in the state’s Special Commitment Program.
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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.
Contact:
Peter Lavallee, Communications Director, (360) 586-0725; PeterL@atg.wa.gov