Griffin v. Bruffett

389 P.3d 992, 53 Kan. App. 2d 589, 2017 WL 542184, 2017 Kan. App. LEXIS 15
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kansas
DecidedFebruary 10, 2017
Docket115487
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 389 P.3d 992 (Griffin v. Bruffett) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Griffin v. Bruffett, 389 P.3d 992, 53 Kan. App. 2d 589, 2017 WL 542184, 2017 Kan. App. LEXIS 15 (kanctapp 2017).

Opinions

Arnold-Burger, J.:

In Kansas, as in a few other states, once you have completed your prison term on a sexually violent crime, tire State may seek to have you involuntarily civilly committed to a state hospital upon a determination by a jury that you are a sexually violent predator. The United States Supreme Court has upheld this process to be constitutional, and our Supreme Court has followed suit. Kansas v. Hendricks, 521 U.S. 346, 117 S. Ct. 2072, 138 L. Ed. 2d 501 (1997); In re Care & Treatment of Hay, 263 Kan. 822, 953 P.2d 666 (1998). But a key part of the process is an annual review by a-judge to determine whether the individual’s mental status remains such that he or she is still a danger to society. As the United States Supreme Court stated in Hendricks, this prevents tire civil commitment process from simply being another form of punishment for the same offense. 521 U.S. at 364.

Matthew B. Griffin has been involuntarily confined to Larned State Hospital for treatment as a sexually violent predator (SVP) since 2009. For 4 of the first 6 years of his confinement, even though an annual evaluation was completed by the State indicating the necessity for continued confinement, there was no judicial overview of that process as required by K.S.A. 2015 Supp. 59-29a08. As a result, he filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus claiming that his statutory and constitutional rights were so severely violated that his confinement in the Sexual Predator Treatment Program (SPTP) has been illegal since 2010. He further asserts that the only possible remedy for the harm he has suffered is immediate release. The district court summarily dismissed the petition. Although we are troubled by the general lack of attention by the district court to the periodic review component of due process for persons confined under the Kansas Sexually Violent Predator Act (SVPA), we must agree that summary dismissal was proper under the unique facts of this case, for the reasons we set out below.

[591]*591Factual and Procedural History

The facts are not in dispute and are outlined as set forth in the district court order denying Griffin’s petition.

• January 2, 2009: Griffin was determined to be an SVP and was committed to the SPTP at Larned State Hospital.
• December 2009: First annual examination completed finding that Griffin was not a suitable candidate for transitional release.
• February 2010: Griffin acknowledges receipt of the annual notice, and the report was submitted to the Saline District Court but was never placed in the court file.
• 2010: No court order was ever entered recommitting Griffin pursuant to the first annual report.
• February 2011: Second annual examination completed.
• May 2011: Griffin agreed to remain in treatment and waived his right to further proceedings.
• May 27, 2011: Saline County District Court entered order continuing Griffin’s commitment to the SPTP.
• December 29, 2011: Third annual examination completed finding that Griffins mental abnormality or personality disorder had not so changed that it would be safe for him to be placed in transitional release.
• January 17, 2012: Griffin acknowledged receipt of the annual notice and signed below the following statement: “‘If I desire to pursue further proceedings in this matter, I understand that I must initiate those separately from this response.’” The report was forwarded to the Saline District Court, but it does not appear in the court file.
• ' 2012: No court order was ever entered recommitting Griffin pursuant to the third annual report.
• December 2012: Fourth annual examination was completed. Griffin acknowledged receipt of the annual notice and signed below the following statement: “ Tf I desire to pursue [592]*592further proceedings in this matter, I understand that I must initiate those separately from this response.’” The report was forwarded to the Saline District Court and to Griffin’s court-appointed attorney, but it does not appear in the court file.
• 2013: No court order was entered recommitting Griffin pursuant to the fourth annual report.
December 2013: Fifth annual examination was completed finding that Griffins mental abnormality or personality disorder had not so changed that it would be safe for him to be placed in transitional release. Griffin acknowledged receipt of the annual notice and signed below the following statement: “ Tf I desire to pursue further pi'oceedings in this matter, I understand that I must initiate those separately from this response.’” The report was forwarded to the Saline District Court and to Griffin’s court-appointed attorney, but it does not appear in the court file.
• 2014: No court order was ever entered recommitting Griffin pursuant to the fifth annual report.
• December 2014: Sixth annual examination was completed finding that Griffin’s mental abnormality or personality disorder had not so changed that it would be safe for him to be placed in transitional release. Griffin was given notice regarding his right to petition for release. The report was forwarded to the S afine District Court.
• March 30,2015: A court order was entered continuing Griffin’s commitment to the custody of the Secretary for control, care, and treatment.
• April 28, 2015: Griffin’s petition for writ of habeas corpus filed.
• November 30,2015: Seventh annual examination was completed, again finding that Griffin’s condition had not changed in any manner to warrant release.
• January 13, 2016: The court issued an order noting that Griffin had been provided an independent evaluation, and on [593]*593January 11, 2016, Griffins attorney announced to the court that after reviewing the evaluation, Griffin no longer wished to seek transitional release related to the 2014 (sixth) or 2015 (seventh) annual reports. Accordingly, he waived any objections as related to any right to a hearing he might be entitled to on those reports.

Griffin did not dispute the district court’s fact findings on appeal. Instead, Griffin argues that his commitment was effectively vacated on January 2, 2010, when the State failed to hold the first annual review hearing—1 year after his commitment to the SPTP. Accordingly, he contends that he has been unlawfully confined since that date.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
389 P.3d 992, 53 Kan. App. 2d 589, 2017 WL 542184, 2017 Kan. App. LEXIS 15, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/griffin-v-bruffett-kanctapp-2017.