State to pay $7,000 a month to hold the property during site assessment for William Stephenson
Roseville, Calif. – Today, the Placer County Superior Court held a previously scheduled hearing to check-in on the Department of State Hospitals residential placement of Sexually Violent Predator William Stephenson.
A Placer County District Attorney’s Office prosecutor appeared alongside County Counsel. County representatives, Placer County Sheriff’s Office, Crime Victims United, and community members joined our Office at the hearing to monitor the Department of State Hospitals progress.
SVP William Stephenson appeared virtually from the State Hospital via phone.
Property being vetted
The Court requested an update on the status of the housing search. The Department of State Hospitals disclosed that a potential property has been identified for placement of SVP William Stephenson. The Department requested that the Court authorize a financial hold while the property is being vetted.
The court asked how much money the Department is requesting to hold the property.
The Department of State Hospitals revealed during the hearing that the state is seeking to pay the property owner $7,000 a month to hold the location while the Department and their contractor, Liberty Healthcare, complete site assessments.
The Department of State Hospitals is not yet prepared to publicly disclose a specific address for possible placement of SVP Stephenson.
District Attorney’s and Sheriff’s objections
Despite the District Attorney’s and Sheriff’s objections, the Department of State Hospitals has elected only to provide information in the closed session portion of Community Housing meetings.
Sharing any information provided to housing committee members during closed session would be a violation of law which further restricts information to the community. This places public notice timing entirely on the State Hospital’s timeline.
30-day requirement
The Department of State Hospitals is required by law to notify the District Attorney’s Office and the Sheriff’s Office at least 30-days prior to their request to release the Sexually Violent Predator. After that official notification, the District Attorney’s Office and the Sheriff’s Office will notify the public.
The District Attorney’s Office again requested another housing committee meeting to discuss any concerns about this potential location. The Department of State Hospitals did not commit to any future meetings.
The judge set another court status hearing for March 25 at 11 a.m. in Department 32. Continue to follow for updates at placer.ca.gov/SVP
