Tap any paragraph to write a margin note. Your notes collect in the Desk below the text and file under cases with @. The side-by-side margin rail opens on a larger screen.

Code · Wisconsin · Chapter 980 — Sexually violent person commitments

980.02 Sexually violent person petition; contents; filing.

674 words·~3 min read·/wi/chapter-980/980-02-2

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

980.02 Sexually violent person petition; contents; filing.
(1)A petition alleging that a person is a sexually violent person may be filed by one of the following:
(a)The department of justice at the request of the agency with jurisdiction over the person.
(b)If the department of justice does not file a petition under par.
(a), the district attorney for one of the following:
1. The county in which the person was convicted of a sexually violent offense, adjudicated delinquent for a sexually violent offense or found not guilty of or not responsible for a sexually violent offense by reason of insanity or mental disease, defect or illness.
2. The county in which the person will reside or be placed upon his or her discharge from a sentence, release on parole or extended supervision, or release from imprisonment, from a juvenile correctional facility, as defined in s. 938.02
(10p), from a residential care center for children and youth, as defined in s. 938.02
(15g), or from a commitment order.
3. The county in which the person is in custody under a sentence, a placement to a juvenile correctional facility, as defined in s. 938.02
(10p), or a secured residential care center for children and youth, as defined in s. 938.02
(15g), or a commitment order.
(1m)A petition filed under this section shall be filed before the person is released or discharged.
(2)A petition filed under this section shall allege that all of the following apply to the person alleged to be a sexually violent person:
(a)The person satisfies any of the following criteria:
1. The person has been convicted of a sexually violent offense.
2. The person has been found delinquent for a sexually violent offense.
3. The person has been found not guilty of a sexually violent offense by reason of mental disease or defect.
(b)The person has a mental disorder.
(c)The person is dangerous to others because the person’s mental disorder makes it likely that he or she will engage in acts of sexual violence.
(3)A petition filed under this section shall state with particularity essential facts to establish probable cause to believe the person is a sexually violent person. If the petition alleges that a sexually violent offense or act that is a basis for the allegation under sub.
(a)was an act that was sexually motivated as provided under s. 980.01
(b), the petition shall state the grounds on which the offense or act is alleged to be sexually motivated.
(4)A petition under this section shall be filed in one of the following:
(a)The circuit court for the county in which the person was convicted of a sexually violent offense, adjudicated delinquent for a sexually violent offense or found not guilty of a sexually violent offense by reason of mental disease or defect.
(am)The circuit court for the county in which the person will reside or be placed upon his or her discharge from a sentence, release on parole or extended supervision, or release from imprisonment, from a juvenile correctional facility, as defined in s. 938.02
(10p), from a secured residential care center for children and youth, as defined in s. 938.02
(15g), or from a commitment order.
(b)The circuit court for the county in which the person is in custody under a sentence, a placement to a juvenile correctional facility, as defined in s. 938.02
(10p), a secured residential care center for children and youth, as defined in s. 938.02
(15g), or a commitment order.
(5)Notwithstanding sub.
(4), if the department of justice decides to file a petition under sub.
(a), it may file the petition in the circuit court for Dane County.
(6)A court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under chs. 48 and 938 does not have jurisdiction over a petition filed under this section alleging that a person who was adjudicated delinquent as a child is a sexually violent person.
★   the supreme law of the land   ★
Don't Tread on Me
E Pluribus Unum — out of many, one

"If you don't know your rights, you don't have any."

Marginalia · a citizen's law index
A research desk, not legal advice. Always read the cited source before relying on a summary.
Questions or an issue? support@self-law.org
disclaimerMarginalia is a research index, not a law firm. Nothing on this site is legal, tax, or financial advice and no attorney–client relationship is formed by using it. Statutes, regulations, and case law change; summaries, search results, AI output, and member posts may be incomplete, out of date, or wrong. Any interpretation drawn from material on this site should be validated by a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before you act on it.