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SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY
APPELLATE DIVISION
DOCKET NO. A-0390-16T5
IN THE MATTER OF THE
CIVIL COMMITMENT OF
E.C. SVP-14-99.
_________________________________
Submitted October 4, 2018 – Decided November 7, 2018
Before Judges O'Connor and Whipple.
On appeal from Superior Court of New Jersey, Law
Division, Essex County, Docket No. SVP-14-99.
Joseph E. Krakora, Public Defender, attorney for
appellant E.C. (Nancy C. Hayes, Designated Counsel,
on the brief).
Gurbir S. Grewal, Attorney General, attorney for
respondent State of New Jersey (Melissa H. Raksa,
Assistant Attorney General, of counsel; Stephen J.
Slocum, Deputy Attorney General, on the brief).
PER CURIAM
Petitioner, E.C., appeals from an August 9, 2016 order continuing his
involuntary commitment to the Special Treatment Unit (STU) pursuant to the
Sexually Violent Predator Act (SVPA), N.J.S.A. 30:4-27.24 to -27.38. We
affirm.
E.C. is a sixty-five-year-old man with a significant history of sexually
violent acts. We have previously outlined E.C.'s criminal history in In re Civil
Commitment of E.C., No. A-0810-09 (App. Div. Feb. 11, 2010) (slip op. at 1),
and only reiterate the procedural history here.
On October 8, 1999, E.C. was committed to the STU pursuant to the
State's petition. E.C. has had numerous review hearings since his original
commitment in 2000. His most recent hearing, the subject of this appeal, began
in 2016.
During the proceeding before Judge James F. Mulvihill, the State
presented the expert testimony of psychiatrist Roger Harris, M.D., and
psychologist Debra Roquet, Pys.D. E.C. presented the expert testimony of
psychiatrist Daniel Greenfield, M.D.
Dr. Harris noted E.C. scored a six on the Static-99R actuarial tool, which
corresponds to a high risk of recidivism in the context of violent sexual crimes.
Dr. Harris testified E.C. has a history of violent sexual crimes, including
reoffending shortly after his release from confinement. Dr. Harris also testified
E.C. suffers from antisocial personality disorder, paraphilic disorder to coercion
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with sadistic traits, and multiple substance abuse disorders. He noted E.C. has
made progress in certain treatment modules at STU, however, E.C. has not yet
internalized and applied enough of the treatment to reduce his risk to reoffend.
Dr. Roquet was a member of the Treatment Progress Committee that
conducted its annual evaluation of E.C. and recommended E.C. remain in Phase
3B of treatment because of concerns about his antisocial personality traits,
which pose a risk for reoffending. Dr. Roquet testified E.C. received a score of
29.5 on the PCL-R actuarial tool, indicating he is high in the range of behaviors
consistent with psychopathy. Like Dr. Harris, Dr. Roquet scored E.C. at six on
the STATIC-99R actuarial tool and diagnosed E.C. with specified paraphilic
disorder to non-consent with sadistic elements, antisocial personality disorder,
and multiple substance abuse disorders. Dr. Roquet testified E.C. is involved in
treatment; however, he exhibits little progress with respect to his deviant sexual
arousal. She opined E.C. is highly likely to reoffend.
Dr. Greenfield supported the conditional release of E.C. believing E.C.
could be managed through continued outpatient treatment. Dr. Greenfield stated
E.C. has responded well to treatment and opined E.C.'s past criminal sexual
history is too old to predict E.C.'s future behavior. Dr. Greenfield diagnosed
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E.C. with paraphilic disorder, which predisposes E.C. to sexually offend, but he
opined E.C. was not likely to revert back or experience this again.
On August 9, 2016, Judge Mulvihill concluded the State had proven, by
clear and convincing evidence, all of the required elements under SVPA to
continue E.C.'s involuntary civil commitment to the STU for control, care, and
treatment. He noted while E.C. has made progress in treatment, he has not made
sufficient progress to substantially reduce his risk to recidivate if released.
Judge Mulvihill found Dr. Harris extremely credible and he had testified E.C.
suffers from a mental abnormality personality disorder, is predisposed to sexual
violence, and has serious difficulty controlling his sexually violent behavior.
Judge Mulvihill also found Dr. Roquet very credible after she testified E.C. is
making progress in his treatment, but he is still highly likely to sexually
reoffend.
Judge Mulvihill found defense expert Dr. Greenfield credible, but
disagreed with Dr. Greenfield's assessment. The judge concluded based on the
testimony, E.C. "continues to suffer from a mental abnormality personality
disorder that does not spontaneously remit; [a]ffects him emotionally,
cognitively and volitionally." The judge further found E.C. was predispo sed to
sexual violence, had serious difficulty controlling his sexually violent behavior,
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and was highly likely to sexually reoffend. Judge Mulvihill signed an order
reflecting his determination on August 9, 2016 and ordered a review hearing for
July 20, 2017. This appeal followed.
E.C. argues the following point on appeal.
THE STATE FAILED TO PROVE BY CLEAR AND
CONVINCING EVIDENCE THAT RESPONDENT
E.C. IS A SEXUALLY VIOLENT PREDATOR AND
THAT THE RISK OF FUTURE RECIDIVISM IS AT
A SUFFICENTLY HIGH LEVEL TO JUSTIFY
CONTINUED CIVIL COMMITMENT UNDER THE
CURRENT TREATMENT PLAN.
Our scope of review of a SVPA commitment trial "is extremely narrow."
In re Civil Commitment of R.F., 217 N.J. 152, 174 (2014) (quoting In re D.C.,
146 N.J. 31, 58 (1996)). We must "give deference to the findings of our trial
judges because they have the 'opportunity to hear and see the witnesses and to
have the "feel" of the case, which a reviewing court cannot enjoy.'" Ibid.
(quoting State v. Johnson, 42 N.J. 146, 161 (1964)). Moreover, "[t]he judges
who hear SVPA cases generally are 'specialists' and 'their expertise in the
subject' is entitled to 'special deference.'" Ibid. (quoting In re Civil Commitment
of T.J.N., 390 N.J. Super. 218, 226 (App. Div. 2007)). We thus accord a trial
court's determination substantial deference; such a decision may "be modified
only if the record reveals a clear mistake." D.C., 146 N.J. at 58.
A-0390-16T5
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Under the SVPA, "[i]f the court finds by clear and convincing evidence
that the person needs continued involuntary commitment as a sexually violent
predator, it shall issue an order authorizing the involuntary commitment of the
person to a facility designated for the custody, care and treatment of sexually
violent predators." N.J.S.A. 30:4-27.32(a). To classify a person as a sexually
violent predator, the State must prove:
(1) that the individual has been convicted of a sexually
violent offense; (2) that he [or she] suffers from a
mental abnormality or personality disorder; and (3) that
as a result of his [or her] psychiatric abnormality or
disorder, "it is highly likely that the individual will not
control his or her sexually violent behavior and will
reoffend[.]"
[R.F., 217 N.J. at 173 (citations omitted) (quoting In re
Commitment of W.Z., 173 N.J. 109, 130 (2002))].
See also N.J.S.A. 30:4-27.26 (enumerating the three requirements).
On appeal, E.C. argues the State did not meet its burden of proving by
clear and convincing evidence that E.C. was a sexually violent predator and
posed a sufficient risk of future recidivism to justify continued civil
commitment. We disagree.
E.C.'s numerous convictions fall under the definition of "sexually violent
offenses" set forth in N.J.S.A. 30:4-27.26. While E.C. only refers to his 1981
and 1984 offenses, the 1981 sexual assault alone is sufficient to satisfy the first
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prong of SVPA. E.C. argues he was not convicted of any sexually violent
offense since 1984, and while this is true, there is nothing in SVPA to suggest
time mitigates the commission of a sexually violent offense. See N.J.S.A. 30:4-
27.26. Accordingly, the trial court correctly found E.C. meets the first prong of
SVPA by clear and convincing evidence.
The second prong of SVPA requires a person must suffer from a mental
abnormality or personality disorder in order to be adjudicated a sexually violent
predator. N.J.S.A. 30:4-27.26. "[T]he mental condition must affect an
individual's ability to control his or her sexually harmful conduct." W.Z., 173
N.J. at 127.
Here, all three experts testified E.C. was suffering from paraphilic
disorder. Accordingly, the second prong of the SVPA was satisfied by clear and
convincing evidence.
The third prong of the test requires the court to determine whether "the
individual poses a threat to the health and safety of others, which is established
upon proof by clear and convincing evidence that he or she has serious difficulty
in controlling his or her harmful behavior such that it is highly likely that [he]
will not control his or her sexually violent behavior and will reoffend" by
committing acts of sexual violence. R.F., 217 N.J. at 186; see also W.Z., 173
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N.J. at 130. In determining the likelihood of future sexually violent acts, courts
are entitled to rely on a petitioner's inability to control dangerous sexual
behaviors. W.Z., 173 N.J. at 132.
Based on the testimony at the hearing, Judge Mulvihill found E.C. is
highly likely to engage in acts of sexual violence if not confined to a secure
facility for further control and treatment. In determining E.C.'s risk of
recidivism, experts considered E.C.'s offenses as both a juvenile and an adult,
offenses after being released, high actuarial scores, and dynamic risk factors. In
their reports and at trial, Drs. Harris and Roquet noted E.C.'s conditions predispose
him to sexual violence, and he is highly likely to reoffend unless confined in a secure
facility for treatment. The court relied on this evidence and testimony, finding the
experts to be credible.
Accordingly, we conclude the record supports the trial court's
determination that each of the elements under the SVPA were proven by clear
and convincing evidence.
Affirmed.
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