Sexually Violent Predators

SEXUALLY VIOLENT PREDATOR HEARING FOR POSSIBLE RESIDENCE IN LANCASTER

PUBLIC COMMENT HEARING – NOVEMBER 5, 2021 at 10:30 am

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LAWTIS DONALD RHODEN

In Florida in 1969, Lawtis Donald Rhoden was convicted of one felony sex offense involving a child under the age of 14 years and sentenced to 14 months in a state mental hospital and 12 years in state prison. While on parole from Florida, Mr. Rhoden sexually assaulted three children in California. While the California crimes were under investigation, Mr. Rhoden went to Nashville, Tennessee where he sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl in December 1984 and was convicted in October 1985 by a jury of rape and use of a minor for obscene purposes. The State of Tennessee sentenced him to 20 years in state prison.

Mr. Rhoden was subsequently extradited to California for prosecution. He was first prosecuted in Orange County for a sexual assault he committed against a 17-year-old on June 2, 1984 in the City of Anaheim. He was convicted by an Orange County jury of rape by force, forceful sexual penetration, and sexual battery in March 1988. The Orange County Superior Court sentenced him to 17 years in state prison (later reduced to 12 years on appeal).

Following prosecution in Orange County, Mr. Rhoden was transferred to Los Angeles County. There, he was prosecuted for sexual assaults he committed against two 14-year-olds on April 24, 1984 and June 18, 1984 in the City of Bellflower and another area of Los Angeles County, respectively. On May 20, 1988, Mr. Rhoden pled guilty to two counts of forcible rape in Los Angeles County Superior Court and was sentenced to six years in state prison, consecutive to his state prison sentence from Orange County.

In advance of his release from prison in 2004, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) filed a sexually violent predator (SVP) petition against Mr. Rhoden under the Sexually Violent Predator Act, Welfare and Institutions Code section 6600, et seq. (SVPA). The case proceeded to jury trial in June 2013. The jury found Mr. Rhoden was an SVP on July 3, 2013. The Court ordered Mr. Rhoden committed to the custody of the California Department of State Hospitals (DSH).

On October 25, 2019, Orange County Superior Court Judge Megan L. Wagner, ordered the conditional release of Mr. Rhoden into the community under the supervision of Liberty Healthcare. On February 5, 2021, the Court found “extraordinary circumstances” existed to place Mr. Rhoden outside of the County of Orange. On September 28, 2021, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office was notified of DSH’s recommendation to place Mr. Rhoden at 48040 25th Street E., Lancaster, CA 93535. Additional information is contained on the Megan’s law website at https://www.meganslaw.ca.gov.

While this address falls within the jurisdiction of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, NEITHER THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT NOR THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SELECTION OF THE PROPOSED SITE.  THAT SELECTION PROCESS IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HOSPITALS AND THE ORANGE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office strongly objects to this sexually violent predator being ordered to live in Lancaster.  District Attorney Gascón has ordered deputies of his own SVP Unit to appear before the Orange County Superior Court on November 5 and oppose Mr. Rhoden’s release into our community.

A hearing is scheduled for November 5, 2021 at 10:30 am in Department N10 of the Orange County Superior Court, North Justice Center, 1275 North Berkeley Avenue, Fullerton, CA 92832. 

Virtual Info:     https://occourts.webex.com/meet/n10

                        Courtroom N10

Meeting number:  781 111 242

By phone:        +1-650-215-5528 United States Toll

                        +52-55-5091-8086 Mexico Toll

Members of the public may attend in person and speak to the court or may speak remotely. Additionally, members of the public will be subject to a three minute time limit when providing comment to the court in person or remotely.

You may e-mail concerns and opinions to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office at Rhoden.Comments@da.lacounty.gov or send a letter to:

Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office

Attn:    Jay S. Grobeson, Deputy District Attorney

            Deputy-In-Charge Sexually Violent Predator Unit

            9425 Penfield Ave., #3210

            Chatsworth, CA  91311

 

Comments will be accepted until October 19, 2021.

All comments will be shared with the court, counsel for Mr. Rhoden, and DSH.

For more information about the sexually violent predator conditional release program, you can visit the Department of State Hospitals website: https://www.dsh.ca.gov/Treatment/docs/SVP_CONREP_Fact_Sheet.pdf