Opinion ID: 1697743
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Cure Period

Text: The second issue before this Court is whether the Act gives the State a seven-day period in which to cure defects in the probable cause petition. The Fourth District concluded that it is reasonable to allow the state a period of seven working days in which to present such affidavits or testimony to the circuit court that initially made the ex parte probable cause determination. Kephart, 826 So.2d at 519. We disagree. As enacted, the Act provides numerous safeguards to ensure that a prisoner's due process rights are protected. For example, section 394.913(1)(a) requires the Department of Corrections to give written notice of an inmate's proposed release date to the multidisciplinary team and to the state attorney of the circuit where the prisoner was last convicted of a sexually violent offense at least 545 days prior to the prisoner's anticipated release from custody. § 394.913(1)(a), Fla. Stat. (2002). The multidisciplinary team then has 180 days after receipt of the notice to assess whether the person meets the definition of a sexually violent predator who should be subject to commitment and to provide the state attorney with its written assessment and recommendation. § 394.913(3)(e), Fla. Stat. (2002). In the event that a person's anticipated release becomes immediate, the agency with jurisdiction must transfer the individual to the Department of Children and Families and within seventy-two hours of transfer, the multidisciplinary team shall assess the person. § 394.9135(2), Fla. Stat. (2002). Finally, the trial court is required to conduct a trial within thirty days of a probable cause determination. § 394.916(1), Fla. Stat. (2002). The confinement of an individual past the expiration of his or her incarcerative sentence requires scrupulous compliance with the Act's requirements. See, e.g., State v. Goode, 830 So.2d 817, 826 (Fla.2002). In Westerheide, this Court found that confinement under the Act did not violate an individual's right to due process provided that `the confinement takes place pursuant to proper procedures and evidentiary standards.' 831 So.2d at 104 (quoting Kansas v. Hendricks, 521 U.S. 346, 357, 117 S.Ct. 2072, 138 L.Ed.2d 501 (1997)). Accordingly, serious due process concerns are implicated when the State attempts to amend a probable cause petition and the filing of the petition causes an individual to remain incarcerated beyond his or her sentence. [6] Therefore, we hold that if the State files a probable cause petition which is not sworn to or accompanied by an affidavit, the State is not granted a cure period. Instead, in cases where a prisoner is detained beyond the expiration of his or her sentence, the trial court must hold the hearing delineated in section 394.915(2)-(3) within twenty-four hours from the filing of the probable cause petition. [7] A person who is arrested is taken before a judicial officer within twenty-four hours of his arrest pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.130. Accordingly, we believe that a person detained beyond the expiration of his sentence pursuant to the Jimmy Ryce Act should have at least as much protection. The twenty-four-hour requirement, however, is not retroactive. This requirement is to be applied prospectively only. Therefore, the twenty-four hour requirement is applicable only to those cases arising after the effective date of this opinion. See, e.g., Fenelon v. State, 594 So.2d 292 (Fla.1992) (holding that courts may not comment on evidence by giving the flight instruction, but also holding the decision should be applied prospectively). Thus, the twenty-four-hour requirement announced today is not applicable to those currently being held past their release date on the basis of proof that does not meet the requirements set forth in this opinion, including the petitioners in this case and any other person similarly situated. Thus, for all presently pending cases the State shall have seven days to cure the deficiency. The Jimmy Ryce Act provides a procedure for a probable cause determination by the trial court. Section 394.915(2)-(3) provides: (2) Upon the expiration of the incarcerative sentence and before the release from custody of a person whom the multidisciplinary team recommends for civil commitment, but after the state attorney files a petition under s. 394.914, the court may conduct an adversarial probable cause hearing if it determines such hearing is necessary. The court shall only consider whether to have an adversarial probable cause hearing in cases where the failure to begin a trial is not the result of any delay caused by the respondent. The person shall be provided with notice of, and an opportunity to appear in person at, an adversarial hearing. At this hearing, the judge shall: (a) Receive evidence and hear argument from the person and the state attorney; and (b) Determine whether probable cause exists to believe that the person is a sexually violent predator. (3) At the adversarial probable cause hearing, the person has the right to: (a) Be represented by counsel; (b) Present evidence; (c) Cross-examine any witnesses who testify against the person; and (d) View and copy all petitions and reports in the court file. § 394.915(2)-(3), Fla. Stat. (2002). This procedure, as we stated in Goode, was apparently intended by the Legislature to be a fallback procedure for persons who were entitled to release from prison but still had not been brought to trial under the commitment petition. 830 So.2d at 827. Because the adversarial probable cause hearing provides the person with more rights than the ex parte probable cause determination, we find that this procedure adequately protects the constitutional rights of an individual who is about to be released from custody when the State files a probable cause petition without the required affidavit.