WARREN 

Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins is renewing his call for a civil commitment law in Ohio, citing the recent release of a man convicted in a 1985 murder.

Watkins' office released a statement calling for legislation that would allow for the civil confinement of "sexually violent predators" after they have completed their prison sentences. While criminal commitment is a part of the criminal justice system and is tied to a specific criminal act, civil commitment is a non-criminal proceeding focused on treatment and public safety.

The prosecutor’s plea follows the Aug. 20 release of Scott Grant, 58, who served four decades for the murder of 17-year-old Michelle Hayes in Lake County.

According to a news release from the prosecutor's office, Grant and another man were convicted in Hayes’ beating, rape, and dismemberment. The other man, Stephen Cohen, died in prison.

Watkins' first call for civil commitment law stemmed from a 2009 case involving the release of Juan Wade, a convicted sex offender from Warren. At the time, Watkins, along with then-Warren Mayor Michael O'Brien, urged state officials to prevent Wade's release and to pass pending legislation for civil commitment.

Senate Bill 67 would have required sexually violent predators released from prison to be monitored by global positioning system devices, required sexually violent predators to pay the cost of monitoring by global positioning system devices, and authorized the civil commitment of certain sexually violent predators.

Watkins says that although the legislation was supported by the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association and victims' groups, the bill did not pass.

Watkins noted that about 20 states and the District of Columbia have a form of civil commitment for violent predators. He specifically called for a state law like the federal Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, which was signed into law in 2006 by President George W. Bush and included provisions for the civil commitment of sex offenders.

According to Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Kansas law that allowed for the civil commitment of individuals who, due to a "mental abnormality" or "personality disorder," are likely to commit future sexually violent acts after completing their prison sentences.

Later, the Court clarified that to be committed under such laws, an individual must have serious difficulty controlling their behavior, not just a diagnosis of a mental abnormality.

Prosecutor Watkins’ call comes one month after President Donald Trump issued an executive order titled "Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets." The President’s order promotes the use of civil commitment, directing federal agencies to take steps to make the process more flexible for individuals with mental illness who are living on the streets or who pose a risk to the public. The order aims to encourage states to adopt similar standards.

The president’s order has drawn criticism from the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law and the National Disability Rights Network. These groups condemned the order, arguing that it could reverse decades of legal precedent and infringe on civil liberties.

"The executive branch has an obligation to abide by Supreme Court decisions rather than seeking to overturn them," said Jennifer Mathis, deputy director of the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, in a statement.

In a separate statement, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) also raised concerns. The organization stated that while homelessness is an urgent crisis, the executive order "promotes institutionalization" and that "mental illness is not a crime."

The groups argue that the focus should be on providing housing, treatment, and community-based services rather than institutionalization. They contend that involuntary commitment should only be a last resort.