Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley and state Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian (R-San Luis Obispo) are teaming up again—this time in an attempt to change state law that allows sexually violent predators to be released into communities as transients.
On March 26, the District Attorney’s Office announced in a press release that the California Supreme Court denied Dudley’s second petition to review, “therefore condoning the release of Tibor Karsai into Santa Barbara County as a ‘transient.’”
Karsai was found guilty of rape in Santa Barbara County in 1974, and of kidnapping and raping a 16-year-old girl in Placer County in 1980. He was designated as a sexually violent predator and was scheduled for release from a mental hospital on April 16.
“The District Attorney’s Office has now done everything it could to prevent Karsai’s release as a ‘transient.’ Our goal all along has been to protect the community and prevent Karsai from re-offending. Now that the legal process has been concluded, it is expected that Karsai will be released in approximately two weeks,” Dudley said in the release.
Liberty Healthcare Corporation—a contractor designated by the California Department of Mental Health’s Conditional Release Program—will be responsible for monitoring Karsai.
“Several weeks ago, in anticipation of this potential ruling, I contacted Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian seeking a legislative change to this law which allows sexually violent predators to be released as transients,” Dudley said. “Once again, Assemblyman Achadjian has agreed to work with our office in our collective goal to increase public safety.”
She said the plan is to introduce legislation that would require predators be released to planned, secured residences.
This article appears in Mar 28 – Apr 4, 2013.