§ 135-E:4 — Release From Total Confinement; Transfers; Petition to Hold in Custody

New Hampshire § 135-E:4

• Jurisdiction: New Hampshire
• Title X: PUBLIC HEALTH
• Ch. 135-E: INVOLUNTARY CIVIL COMMITMENT OF SEXUALLY VIOLENT PREDATORS

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I. In the event that a person who has been convicted of a sexually violent offense is eligible for immediate release upon completion of the maximum term of incarceration, the agency with jurisdiction shall provide immediate notice to the county attorney or attorney general of the person's release. The county attorney or attorney general or the agency with jurisdiction may file a petition for an emergency hearing in the superior court requesting that the person subject to immediate release be evaluated by the multidisciplinary team to determine whether the person is a sexually violent predator. The hearing shall be held within 24 hours of the filing of the petition, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. The person shall not be released from total confinement until after the hearing has been held. At the hearing, the court shall determine whether there is probable cause to believe that the person is a sexually violent predator. If the court finds probable cause, the person shall be held in an appropriate secure facility.
II. Within 72 hours after finding probable cause, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, the multidisciplinary team shall assess whether the person meets the definition of a sexually violent predator. If the multidisciplinary team determines that the person does not meet the definition of a sexually violent predator, the department of health and human services shall provide notice to the county attorney or attorney general and that person shall be immediately released. If the multidisciplinary team determines that the person meets the definition of a sexually violent predator, the team shall provide the county attorney or attorney general with its written assessment and recommendation within the 72-hour period or, if the 72-hour period ends on a weekend or holiday, within the next business day thereafter.
III. Within 48 hours after receipt of the written assessment and recommendation from the multidisciplinary team, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, the county attorney or attorney general may file a petition with the superior court alleging that the person is a sexually violent predator and stating facts sufficient to support such allegation. If a petition is not filed within the prescribed time period by the county attorney or attorney general, the person shall be immediately released. If a petition is filed pursuant to this section, the person shall be held in an appropriate secure facility for further proceedings in accordance with this chapter.
IV. A person shall be released if the multidisciplinary team or the county attorney or attorney general do not comply with the time limitations in this section. Failure to comply with the time limitations, which results in the release of a person who has been convicted of a sexually violent offense, is not dispositive of the case and does not prevent the county attorney or attorney general from filing a petition against a person otherwise subject to the provisions of this chapter. Notwithstanding RSA 135-E:24, II, the court shall not consider any petition filed more than 6 months after the person's release from incarceration unless the timing of the petition is due to newly discovered material facts, which shall be alleged in the petition.

Legislative History

2006, 327:21. 2007, 337:4. 2009, 306:8, 12. 2010, 247:15, eff. Sept. 1, 2010 at 12:01 a.m. 2021, 48:2, eff. May 25, 2021.