1. If the person charged with a sexually violent offense has been found incompetent to stand trial and the person is about to be released pursuant to chapter 812, or if a petition has been filed seeking the person’s commitment under this chapter, the court shall first hear evidence and determine whether the person did commit the act or acts charged. At the hearing on this issue, the rules of evidence applicable in criminal cases shall apply, and all constitutional rights available to defendants at criminal trials, other than the right not to be tried while incompetent, shall apply. After hearing evidence on this issue, the court shall make specific findings on whether the person did commit the act or acts charged, the extent to which the person’s incompetence affected the outcome of the hearing, including its effect on the person’s ability to consult with and assist counsel and to testify on the person’s own behalf, the extent to which the evidence could be reconstructed without the assistance of the person, and the strength of the prosecution’s case. If, after the conclusion of the hearing on this issue, the court finds, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the person did commit the act or acts charged, the court shall enter a final order, appealable by the person, on that issue, and may proceed to consider whether the person should be committed pursuant to this chapter.
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Terms Used In Iowa Code 229A.7

  • Appropriate secure facility: means a state facility that is designed to confine but not necessarily to treat a sexually violent predator. See Iowa Code 229A.2
  • Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
  • Court: shall mean and include any court upon which jurisdiction has been conferred to determine the liability of persons for the support of dependents. See Iowa Code 252A.2
  • Department: means the department of health and human services. See Iowa Code 249L.2
  • Department: means the department of health and human services. See Iowa Code 229A.2
  • Director: means the director of health and human services. See Iowa Code 229A.2
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Mental abnormality: means a congenital or acquired condition affecting the emotional or volitional capacity of a person and predisposing that person to commit sexually violent offenses to a degree which would constitute a menace to the health and safety of others. See Iowa Code 229A.2
  • Mistrial: An invalid trial, caused by fundamental error. When a mistrial is declared, the trial must start again from the selection of the jury.
  • Party: means a petitioner, a respondent, or a person who intervenes in a proceeding instituted under this chapter. See Iowa Code 252A.2
  • person: means individual, corporation, limited liability company, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, or any other legal entity. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
  • Respondent: includes each person against whom a proceeding is instituted pursuant to this chapter. See Iowa Code 252A.2
  • Sexually violent offense: means :
     a. See Iowa Code 229A.2
  • Sexually violent predator: means a person who has been convicted of or charged with a sexually violent offense and who suffers from a mental abnormality which makes the person likely to engage in predatory acts constituting sexually violent offenses, if not confined in a secure facility. See Iowa Code 229A.2
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Testify: Answer questions in court.
  • Transitional release: means a conditional release from a secure facility operated by the department with the conditions of such release set by the court or the department. See Iowa Code 229A.2
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
 2. If a person has been found not guilty by reason of insanity, the court shall determine whether the acts charged were proven as a matter of law. If as a matter of law the finding of not guilty by reason of insanity requires a finding that the underlying elements of the charged offense were proven, then no further fact-finding is required. If as a matter of law the finding of not guilty by reason of insanity does not require a finding that the underlying elements of the charged offense be proven, the case shall proceed in the same manner as if the person were found to be incompetent to stand trial as provided in subsection 1.
 3. Within ninety days after either the entry of the order waiving the probable cause hearing or completion of the probable cause hearing held under section 229A.5, the court shall conduct a trial to determine whether the respondent is a sexually violent predator. The respondent or the attorney for the respondent may waive the ninety-day trial requirement as provided in this section; however, the respondent or the attorney for the respondent may reassert a demand and the trial shall be held within ninety days from the date of filing the demand with the clerk of court. The trial may be continued upon the request of either party and a showing of good cause, or by the court on its own motion in the due administration of justice, and when the respondent will not be substantially prejudiced. In determining what constitutes good cause, the court shall consider the length of the pretrial detention of the respondent.
 4. The respondent, the attorney general, or the judge shall have the right to demand that the trial be before a jury. Such demand for the trial to be before a jury shall be filed, in writing, at least ten days prior to trial. If no demand is made, the trial shall be before the court. Except as otherwise provided, the Iowa rules of evidence and the Iowa rules of civil procedure shall apply to all civil commitment proceedings initiated pursuant to this chapter.
 5. a. At trial, the court or jury shall determine whether, beyond a reasonable doubt, the respondent is a sexually violent predator. If the case is before a jury, the verdict shall be unanimous that the respondent is a sexually violent predator.

 b. If the court or jury determines that the respondent is a sexually violent predator, the respondent shall be committed to the custody of the director for control, care, and treatment until such time as the person’s mental abnormality has so changed that the person is safe to be placed in a transitional release program or discharged. The determination may be appealed.
 c. At trial, the court shall admit, and the fact finder may rely on, the findings of an administrative parole judge or other agency fact finder.
 6. If the court or jury determines that the respondent is a sexually violent predator, the court shall order the respondent to submit a DNA sample for DNA profiling pursuant to section 81.4.
 7. The control, care, and treatment of a person determined to be a sexually violent predator shall be provided at a facility operated by the department. At all times prior to placement in a transitional release program or release with supervision, persons committed for control, care, and treatment by the department pursuant to this chapter shall be kept in a secure facility and those patients shall be segregated at all times from any other patient under the supervision of the department. A person committed pursuant to this chapter to the custody of the department may be kept in a facility or building separate from any other patient under the supervision of the department. The department may enter into a chapter 28E agreement with the department of corrections or other appropriate agency in this state or another state for the confinement of patients who have been determined to be sexually violent predators. Patients who are in the custody of the director of the department of corrections pursuant to a chapter 28E agreement and who have not been placed in a transitional release program or released with supervision shall be housed and managed separately from criminal offenders in the custody of the director of the department of corrections, and except for occasional instances of supervised incidental contact, shall be segregated from those offenders.
 8. If the court makes the determination or the jury determines that the respondent is not a sexually violent predator, the court shall direct the respondent’s release. Upon release, the respondent shall comply with any requirements to register as a sex offender as provided in chapter 692A. Upon a mistrial, the court shall direct that the respondent be held at an appropriate secure facility until another trial is conducted. Any subsequent trial following a mistrial shall be held within ninety days of the previous trial, unless such subsequent trial is continued or the ninety days are waived as provided in subsection 3.
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