News Releases for April 2005
April 13, 2005
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Hoeven Signs Tough New Violent And Sexual Offender Legislation
BISMARCK, N.D. - Gov. John Hoeven today signed new legislation that emerged from his Governor's Task Force on Violent and Sexual Offenders. The measures are designed to toughen North Dakota's sexual and violent offender laws. The signing coincides with a proclamation Hoeven signed two weeks ago designating April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in North Dakota.
Joining Hoeven for the signing were Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem and the bills' sponsors: Reps. Kim Koppelman, Duane DeKrey, Lois Delmore and Stacey Horter; and Sens. Jack Traynor, Tom Trenbeath, Carolyn Nelson, Nicholas Hacker, John Syverson and Connie Triplett. Also attending were Governor's Task Force members Bismarck Police Chief Deb Ness, Assistant Attorneys General Jean Mullen and Jon Byers, and Labor Commissioner Leanne Bertsch. Reps. Koppelman and DeKrey, and Sen. Trenbeath were also Task Force members. Jessica McSperron-Bien and Bonnie Palacek of the Council on Abused Women's Services also attended.
HB1061, HB1057 and HB1313 are the product of the Governor's Task Force on Violent and Sexual Offenders, which was established in January 2004. The group, which met over the course of six months across the state, was comprised of legislators, judges, law enforcement and corrections officials, as well as representatives from the state hospital, victims rights groups and the public.
“Safe streets and safe neighborhoods are central to North Dakota's outstanding quality of life, yet we can always make our commitment to public safety stronger,” Hoeven said. “Through our task force, we were able to close a gap between prison and inpatient civil commitment that will make our citizens safer. These bills not only provide for stiffer sentences, but they also impose supervised probation and community commitment for those violent and sexual offenders who fall in between prison and institutional commitment.”
A fourth bill, HB1289, makes evidence and records from sexual offender commitment hearings available to the public and grew out of work done by Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem.
“When it comes to the safety of our communities, information equals protection,” Stenehjem said. “This new law will make sure that the public is informed about the most dangerous sexual predators, who are such a threat to society that the only appropriate treatment available is in a secure facility.”
Major provisions of the new laws include:
- Strengthened sentencing:
- Mandatory life without the possibility of parole for the most heinous gross sexual imposition cases resulting in death.
- A maximum of life in prison for offenses that involve serious bodily injury; force or threats; a victim under the age of 15; or a habitually abused minor.
- A comprehensive civil commitment program, including more referrals for both inpatient and community commitment.
- Increased supervision of sex offenders, including mandatory five year supervised probation and GPS monitoring.
- Expanded enforcement of North Dakota's tougher standards to include not only offenders convicted in North Dakota, but also those who relocate here from other states.
- Open records for the public pertaining to evidence presented at commitment proceedings of sexually dangerous individuals.
“We now take this package of strong laws forward and apply them in our counties and cities across our state,” Hoeven said. “North Dakota is one great community, and that means our law enforcement professionals, public officials, justice system and all of our citizens work together to keep our people safe.”
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