# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls For the Eig hth Circu it

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No. 1 4- 15 57

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ Uni te d S ta te s o f Am eri ca

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Pla in ti

ff - App el le e

v.

Je ss ie Pet ta way

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defe nd

an t - Ap pe ll an t

__ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e Weste rn Dis tri ct of M is so ur i - Sp rin gf ie ld

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Su bm it te d: May 12 , 20 15 Fi le d: Aug us t 1 2, 2 01 5 [Pu bl is he d]

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re LOKEN, BOW MAN, an d KELLY, Circ ui t J ud ge s.

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PER CURI AM.

Sh or tl y be fo re Je ss ie Pet ta way was du e to be rel eas ed fro m fed eral pr is on , th e Uni te d St at es fil ed a pe ti ti on se ek in g hi s co m m it m en t un de r 18 U.S.C. § 42 46 on th e
gr ou nd s th at he was m en ta ll y il l an d da ng ero us

. Afte r a he ari ng , th e d i s t r i c t c ou rt

co m m it te d Pet ta way to th e cu st od y of th e Att or ne y Gen eral fo r ho sp it al iz at io n an d

tr e a t m en t in a su it ab le faci li ty, up on fin di ng by cl ear an d co nv in ci ng ev id en ce th atco m

m it m en t was ap pr op ria te

. Pet ta way ap pe al s, ch al le ng in g th e su ffi ci en cy of th e

ev id en ce.

Th e st at ut e pe rm it s in de fin it e ho sp it al iz at io n of a fed eral pr is on er du e fo r rel eas e on ly if, aft er ho l d i n g a h e a r in g, “ th e co ur t fin ds by cl ear an d co nv in ci ng

ev id en ce th at th e pe rs on is pr es en tl y su ffer in g fro m a m en ta l di s e a s e o r de fect as a

res ul t of whi ch hi s rel eas e wou ld crea te a su bs ta nt ia l ris k of bo di ly in jury to an ot he r
pe rs on or se rio us da m ag e to pr op ert y of an ot he r.” 18 U.S.C. § 42 46 (d ). See Uni te d
St at es v. W il li am s, 29 9 F. 3 d 6 7 3
, 6 7 6 (8 th Ci r. 20 02 ) (“ To warra nt co m m it m en t

un de r 18 U.S.C. § 42 46
, th e go ve rn m en t m us t de m on st rat e, by cl ear an d co nv in ci ng

ev id en ce: ‘ (1 ) a m en ta l di se as e or de fect ; (2 ) da ng ero us ne ss if re le as ed ; an d (3 ) th e

a b s e n c e of su it ab le st at e pl acement.’”) (ci ta ti on s om it te d)

. Thi s co ur t rev ie ws th e fact ua l de te rm in at io ns un de rlyin g th e di st ric t co ur t’s co m m it m en t de ci si on fo r cl ear

erro r, se e id

. ( d is cu ss in g st an da rd of rev ie w an d go ve rn m en t’s bu rd en to warra nt

co m m it m e n t u n de r § 42 46 ); ho wev er, ou r rev ie w in th is cas e is hi nd ered by th e
p e rfu nc to ry na tu re of th e co ur t’s an al y si s. W e ex pr es s no op in io n as to th e
ap pr op ria te ne ss of Pet ta way ’s co m m it m en t, bu t co nc lu de th at th e co m m it m en t or de r

m us t do m or e th an reci te Pet ta w a y’s m en ta l di ag no si s an d th e op in io ns of m en ta l he al th pr of

es si on al s th at Pet ta way ’s un co nd it io na l rel eas e wou ld crea te th e rel ev an t ris k of da ng ero us ne ss

. We al so no te th at th e di st ric t co ur t he ard co nt rary ev id en ce in th e fo rm of te st im on y fro m Pet ta way

. At th e he ari ng , P et ta way te st ifi ed th at he do e s no t be li ev e he su ffer s fro m a m en ta l il ln es s, th at he ta ke s hi s pr es cri be d

m ed ic at io ns an d wou ld co nt in ue t o d o s o , a n d th at if rel eas ed
, he wou ld no t be a da ng er to an y ot he r pe rs on s or pr op ert y be cau se he ha d “ st o p p e d d o i n g th at .” The

co ur t m us t gi ve so m e in di cat io n as to wha t in fo rm at io n in th e reco rd it rel ie d up on

–

su ch as Pet ta way ’s be ha vi or al or ps y ch ol o g i c a l hi st or y ; res ul ts of fo rm al iz ed

as se ss m en ts ; rece nt ob se rv at io ns , tre at m en t no te s, or in te rv ie w im pr es si on s of m en ta l he al th pr of

es si on al s; or it s im

pr es si on s of Pet ta way ’s own te st im on y – in reac hi ng it s

co nc lu si on

.

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-Giv en th e pa ss ag e of m or e th an a ye a r si nc e th e co m m it m en t he ari ng , an d be cau se Pet ta way ’s cu st od ia ns are un de r an on go in g ob li ga ti o n to pr ep are an nu al

rep or ts co nc ern in g hi s m en ta l co nd it io n an d th e ne ed fo r hi s co nt in ue d ho sp it al iz at io n, se e 18 U.S.C. § 42 47 (e)( 1) (B), an d to ex ert reas on ab le effo rts
pe rio di cal ly t o se cu re s ta te pl acement, se e 18 U.S.C. § 42 46 (d ), we co nc lu de th at a

ne w hea rin g wi th cu rren t i nf or m at io n i s war ran te d.

Acco rd in gl y , we va cat e th e jud gm en t of th e di st ric t co ur t a n d r e man d fo r fu rth er p ro ceed in gs , and we de ny cou ns el ’s m ot io n t o wi th dr aw.

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