Colorado State Archives

Executive Orders from the Administration of Governor Bill Owens 1999-2005

(DENVER) - Gov. Bill Owens and Attorney General John Suthers today announced the first recommendations from the Governor's Task Force on Sexually Violent Predators. Owens initiated the Task Force through Executive Order in June and asked Suthers to serve as Chair.

"I have long believed that government's first priority must be the protection of its citizens," Owens said. "The recommendations made by this Task Force are important steps toward meeting this priority and we will be pursuing the necessary changes in statute when the Legislature convenes in January."

The Task Force was charged with examining the processes used to evaluate sexually violent predators, as well as the methods used to notify the community.

"As chair of this Task Force, I am pleased with the scrutiny these recommendations were given," said Attorney General Suthers. "Although there still is work to be done, these recommendations go a long way to ensuring sexually violent predators are properly identified and communities are notified of the presence of such predators."

The Task Force accepted the following recommendations made by its Legislative Subcommittee.

• All sexually violent predators should automatically be subject to community notification. Under current law, community notification regarding sexually violent predators is not automatic or even assured. It depends on a separate procedure.

• The Probation Department - within the Judicial Branch - will have the primary responsibility to carry out the sexually violent predator risk assessment. Current law is unclear as to whether the Probation Department or the Department of Corrections is responsible for this assessment.

• Arrest will no longer be discretionary for a sexually violent predator who fails to comply with the quarterly registration requirements. Arrest will be mandatory. In addition, in order to post bail, registration will be an absolute requirement.

• Colorado's definition of a sexually violent predator should be changed to include those who are convicted of such crimes in other states or jurisdictions. As the law reads today, there is no requirement for community notification when a sexually violent predator moves into Colorado from another state and is no longer under supervision.

Owens and Suthers stressed that the work of the Task Force will continue and there may be additional recommendations to follow. In addition to the Legislative Subcommittee, the task force also created a Criminal Justice Subcommittee. The deadline for final recommendations from the subcommittees is November 1.

The members of the Governor's Task Force on Sexually Violent Predators are:

• John Suthers - Attorney General
• Joe Ortiz - Executive Director, Colorado Department of Corrections
• Joe Morales - Executive Director, Colorado Department of Public Safety
• Bob Grant - Executive Director, Colorado District Attorney's Council
• David Kaplan - State Public Defender
• Al Stanley - Chairman, Parole Board
• Jon Anderson - Chief Legal Counsel, Governor's Office
• Mary Woodard - Senior Policy Advisor, Governor's Office
• Terry Livermore - Public Policy Director, Colorado Organization for Victims Assistance
• Joe Stommel - Treatment Provider, Colorado Department of Corrections
• Jill McFadden - Director, Sex Offender Management Board
• Paul Schultz - Lafayette Chief of Police
• Tom Quinn - Director, Division of Probation Services
• Chris Rowe - Adult Programs Coordinator; Division of Probation Services
• Gerald Marroney - State Court Administrator

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