Opinion ID: 3135597
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: jurisdiction

Text: We review de novo the purely legal issue of jurisdiction. People v. Drum, 194 Ill. 2d 485, 488 (2000). Respondent relies on two arguments to support his position that the State cannot appeal a finding of no probable cause under the Act: (1) the language of the Act establishes the legislature’s intent that the State may not appeal a finding of no probable cause; and (2) even if the State had a general right to appeal, the order was not a final, appealable judgment. Respondent’s first argument is largely based on section 35(g) of the Act, involving SVP trials. That section states: “A judgment entered under subsection (f) of this Section on the finding that the person who is the subject of the petition under Section 15 is a sexually violent person is interlocutory -4- to a commitment order under Section 40 and is reviewable on appeal.” 725 ILCS 207/35(g) (West 2006). Respondent argues that although section 35 does not specifically address probable cause hearings, it limits appellate review to cases when a finding of probable cause has been entered, thus barring the appeal of a finding of no probable cause. He adds that the same legislative intent is shown in sections 30(c) and 35(f), requiring the court to dismiss the State’s civil commitment petition: (1) if, at the probable cause hearing, “the court determines that probable cause does not exist to believe that the person is a sexually violent person” or (2) if, at the conclusion of a SVP trial, “the court or jury is not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the person is a sexually violent person.” 725 ILCS 207/30(c), 35(f) (West 2006). These claims involve statutory construction, presenting a pure legal question subject to de novo review. Weather-Tite, Inc. v. University of St. Francis, 233 Ill. 2d 385, 389 (2009). When construing a statute, our goal is to determine and effectuate the legislature’s intent, best indicated by giving the statutory language its plain and ordinary meaning. Weather-Tite, 233 Ill. 2d at 389. This court will not depart from the statute’s plain language by reading in exceptions, limitations, or conditions in conflict with the legislature’s intent. Weather-Tite, 233 Ill. 2d at 390. After examining the plain language of both sections 35(f) and 35(g), we conclude those sections pertain only to judgments entered after a full trial on the merits of the State’s petition. Here, the issue is the State’s right to appeal a finding entered at the earlier probable cause stage of the proceedings. Indeed, only if a finding of probable cause is entered at this early stage would respondent ever be subject to a trial on the merits of the State’s petition. Thus, the plain language of the Act shows that sections 35(f) and 35(g) do not apply here. We are not persuaded by respondent’s argument that the absence of language in the Act affirmatively authorizing a State appeal from a finding of no probable cause mandates the conclusion that the State may not appeal. Nonetheless, based on the language in section 30(c) mandating dismissal of the State’s civil commitment petition after a finding of no probable cause, respondent maintains that the legislature intended to bar the State’s appeal. He contends the legislature would have -5- specifically provided for an appeal, or at least a bond pending appeal, if it had intended the State to be able to appeal. We do not believe, however, that the absence of specific statutory language affirmatively providing for appeals or bonds supports that interpretation. Indeed, the primary error in respondent’s argument is his reliance on the statute’s purported silence. His argument overlooks express statutory language affirmatively stating that “[t]he proceedings under this Act shall be civil in nature. The provisions of the Civil Practice Law, and all existing and future amendments of that Law shall apply to all proceedings hereunder except as otherwise provided in this Act.” 725 ILCS 207/20 (West 2006). Thus, the Act is not silent about the applicable appellate rules, as respondent claims, but rather directs us to consider the applicable civil provisions. Section 1–107 of the Code of Civil Procedure states that “[a]ppeals may be taken as provided for in civil cases.” 735 ILCS 5/1–107 (West 2006). In turn, Supreme Court Rule 301 notes that “[e]very final judgment of a circuit court in a civil case is appealable as of right.” 155 Ill. 2d R. 301. Therefore, if the trial court’s finding of no probable cause in this case constitutes a final judgment, the State may appeal that finding. Accordingly, we next consider respondent’s second jurisdictional argument, namely, that the State may not appeal here because a finding of no probable cause in a civil SVP proceeding is not a final judgment. Respondent compares the State’s right to appeal in this context to its appellate rights after entry of a finding of no probable cause in a criminal prosecution, citing a Wisconsin case, State v. Watson, 227 Wis. 2d 167, 201, 595 N.W.2d 403, 418 (1999). He notes that only final judgments are appealable in both contexts and asserts that the State may not appeal from a finding of no probable cause in a criminal case because the ruling is not final. In a criminal case, the State’s only options are to refile its charges or seek a grand jury indictment. He contends the outcome should be the same here, limiting the State to filing another civil commitment petition “no more than 90 days before [respondent’s] discharge or entry into mandatory supervised release” (725 ILCS 207/15(b–5) (West 2006)) or “within 30 days of [his] placement onto parole or mandatory supervised release” (725 ILCS 207/15(a)(1) (West 2006)). We reject respondent’s argument for two reasons. First, his -6- analogy to adverse rulings in criminal probable cause hearings fails because it ignores the statute’s plain directive to apply civil law “except as otherwise provided in this Act.” 725 ILCS 207/20 (West 2006). Because the Act does not otherwise provide for State appeals from a finding of no probable cause, we must look to the applicable civil law, rather than analogize to our criminal law. Second, respondent’s argument is circular because it presumes that the reason the State may not appeal from a finding of no probable cause in a criminal case is because the ruling is not final without providing any support for his presumption. In our view, respondent’s reliance on section 30(c) of the Act supports the opposite conclusion. Under section 30(c), the State’s petition must be dismissed if probable cause is not found. 725 ILCS 207/30(c) (West 2006). This court has repeatedly applied three criteria to determine whether a civil ruling is final. A ruling is final if: (1) it terminates the litigation between the parties, and (2) it fixes the parties’ rights, (3) “so that, if affirmed, the trial court has only to proceed with execution of the judgment” (Kellerman v. Crowe, 119 Ill. 2d 111, 115 (1987)). See In re A.H., 207 Ill. 2d 590, 594 (2003); In re Curtis B., 203 Ill. 2d 53, 59 (2002); Flores v. Dugan, 91 Ill. 2d 108, 112 (1982). After a finding of no probable cause in respondent’s case, the State’s petition had to be dismissed under section 30(c), effectively terminating the litigation and defining both parties’ rights, leaving only enforcement of the judgment. Respondent was entitled to begin his MSR period, and the State was precluded from advancing the contentions in its civil commitment petition in the trial court. Under our case law, the trial court’s finding that no probable cause existed to believe respondent was a SVP constitutes a final judgment and the State was entitled to file an appeal under the statutes and supreme court rules generally applicable in civil cases. Thus, we affirm the appellate court’s denial of respondent’s motions to dismiss the State’s appeal and to reconsider the appellate judgment because we hold that the appellate court has jurisdiction to decide the merits of State appeals from findings of no probable cause in SVP proceedings.