In re Care & Treatment of Quillen

451 P.3d 478
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kansas
DecidedOctober 18, 2019
Docket120184
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 451 P.3d 478 (In re Care & Treatment of Quillen) 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
In re Care & Treatment of Quillen, 451 P.3d 478 (kanctapp 2019).

Opinion

No. 120,184

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF KANSAS

In the Matter of the Care and Treatment of RICHARD A. QUILLEN.

SYLLABUS BY THE COURT

1. When analyzing jury instruction issues, an appellate court follows a three-step process. First, the court must determine whether it can or should review the issue, i.e., whether there is a lack of appellate jurisdiction or a failure to preserve the issue for appeal. Second, it must consider the merits of the claim to determine whether legal or factual errors occurred below. And third, if there is error, it must assess whether the error requires reversal, i.e., whether the error can be deemed harmless.

2. The Kansas Sexually Violent Predator Act, K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 59-29a01 et seq., authorizes the State to civilly commit sexually violent predators to the custody of the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services for treatment.

3. To commit a person under the Kansas Sexually Violent Predator Act, K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 59-29a02(a), the State must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that (1) the person has been convicted of or charged with a sexually violent offense, (2) the person suffers from a mental abnormality or personality disorder, (3) that mental abnormality or personality disorder makes the person likely to commit repeat acts of sexual violence, and (4) the person has serious difficulty controlling their dangerous behavior.

1 4. When a person is civilly committed under the Kansas Sexually Violent Predator Act, K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 59-29a08 entitles such person to an annual review to determine whether his or her mental abnormality or personality disorder has so changed as to render them safe to be at large. The committed person can also use the annual review process to seek transitional release out of the treatment program by filing a petition for transitional release.

5. Upon filing a petition for transitional release, the committed person has the burden under K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 59-29a08(d) to show probable cause to believe that the person's mental abnormality or personality disorder has significantly changed so that he or she is safe to be placed in transitional release.

6. If the committed person establishes probable cause, the court must conduct a hearing on the petition for transitional release. Under K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 59-29a08(g), the burden of proof at this hearing is on the State to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the committed person's mental abnormality or personality disorder remains such that the person is not safe to be placed in transitional release and if transitionally released is likely to engage in repeat acts of sexual violence.

7. Due process requires annual review proceedings to utilize the same standard of proof as used in the original commitment proceedings. As such, to deny a committed person release, the State is also constitutionally required to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the person would have serious difficulty controlling his or her behavior if transitionally released.

2 Appeal from Johnson District Court; KEVIN P. MORIARTY, judge. Opinion filed October 18, 2019. Vacated and remanded with directions.

Michael J. Bartee, of Michael J. Bartee, P.A., of Olathe, for appellant.

Dwight R. Carswell, assistant solicitor general, and Derek Schmidt, attorney general, for appellee.

Before GREEN, P.J., STANDRIDGE, J., and MCANANY, S.J.

STANDRIDGE, J.: In 2006, Richard A. Quillen was civilly committed to the custody of the Kansas Secretary of Social and Rehabilitation Services, now the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS), under the Kansas Sexually Violent Predator Act (KSVPA). As part of that commitment, KDADS is required to conduct a yearly review and report to the district court regarding Quillen's progress, the current state of his mental condition, and his treatment staff's recommendation regarding transitional release. In 2013, Quillen challenged KDADS's recommendation that he remain civilly committed and requested a jury trial to determine if he should be placed into transitional release. Quillen's request was eventually granted, and a jury trial was held in April 2018. But the jury found the State met its burden to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Quillen did not meet the criteria for transitional release. Quillen filed a motion for a new trial, claiming the district court violated his right to due process when it refused to give a jury instruction that included "serious difficulty controlling behavior" as a separate element the State must prove in order for the jury to find he did not meet the criteria for transitional release. The district court denied the motion, and Quillen appeals. For the reasons stated below, we vacate the jury's verdict and remand the matter for a new trial, with directions to instruct the jury that, in addition to the other elements, the State must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Quillen would have serious difficulty controlling behavior if transitionally released.

3 FACTS

In 1998, Quillen was convicted of one count of aggravated indecent solicitation of a child and one count of lewd and lascivious behavior. He was sentenced to 43 months in prison. Prior to his release, the State filed a petition—pursuant to K.S.A. 59-29a01—to determine whether Quillen qualified as a sexually violent predator subject to involuntary civil commitment upon release. Quillen initially contested the petition but later agreed to enter a consent decree, in which he stipulated to the fact that he was a sexually violent predator within the meaning of K.S.A. 59-29a01 et seq. As part of this consent decree, the State agreed that if Quillen ever decided to file a petition for transitional release under K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 59-29a08, the State would waive the requirement that Quillen first have a probable cause hearing. The district court acknowledged Quillen's stipulation and the terms of the consent decree and then entered judgment accordingly. Based on that judgment, the court committed Quillen to the custody of KDADS and sent him to the Larned State Security Hospital Sexual Predator Treatment Facility for treatment (Program).

Once committed, KDADS conducted its yearly review of Quillen as required and, in each of these years, submitted a report advising the district court that Quillen's mental condition or personality disorder had not changed sufficiently to qualify him for transitional release. As required, KDADS provided Quillen with a copy of the report and notice that he had the right to petition for release over the Secretary's objection. While Quillen acknowledged receipt of the annual report each year, he did not challenge the findings or recommendations. That changed in 2013, however, when Quillen requested a hearing to determine whether he should be placed into transitional release over KDADS's objection. The district court summarily denied the request without setting a hearing. Quillen appealed. In re Care and Treatment of Quillen, No.

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451 P.3d 478, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-care-treatment-of-quillen-kanctapp-2019.