News broke early this month that an Orange County court found “extraordinary circumstances” existed to authorize relocating Lawtis Rhoden, a sexually violent predator, outside of Orange County, and chose Twentynine Palms as a possible location for him to live. In response, the City of Twentynine Palms, the District Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Department, Congressman Jay Olbernolte and County Supervisor Dawn Rowe all met last Thursday (March 25) to discuss the situation with residents. Following the meeting, Deputy District Attorney Maureen O’Connell called in to the Z107.7 Up Close Show on Friday (March 26) to further discuss Rhoden’s history and how Morongo Basin residents can help keep him from being relocated here. Reporter Cassidy Taylor has the details…
It was a packed Up Close Show last Friday as discussion around the relocation of Lawtis Rhoden to the Morongo Basin continued. When Deputy District Attorney, Maureen O’Connell called in, she first touched on how we found ourselves in this situation.
“So, there’s a section in the statute that permits a judge in a domiciled county, which is Orange County to find what they call “extraordinary circumstances” to allow Liberty Healthcare to search outside the county domiciled – and that’s what happened here. Back in February of this year, the judge in Orange County found extraordinary circumstances, believing that it’s taken an inordinate amount of time to try to find him a placement in Orange County. All the while he remains detained even though a court has already determined it can be safely treated in a community.”
While the house that Liberty Healthcare found for Rhoden is Jessica’s Law-compliant, meaning it is not within a quarter mile of a school, park, or playground, O’Connell shares the same concerns many residents have, including the large number of children in the neighborhood. Additionally, the DA’s office does not know the specifics of how Rhoden will be monitored if released in Twentynine Palms.
“Liberty [Healthcare] supervises him with a lengthy list of terms and conditions; those are the rules he needs to comply with. We have not been provided that list of terms and conditions to date [3-26-2021].”
For more information on Lawtis Rhoden’s possible relocation, listen to last week’s Up Close Show.
Anyone in the Morongo Basin who opposes the relocation can write a letter to Deputy District Attorney, Maureen O’Connell before April 6. Instructions on where to submit letters and where you can sign a petition opposing this relocation are also in this story, online.
Up-Close Show Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id386367587
Email:
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department
[email protected]
Mail:
San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office
Attn: Deputy District Attorney Maureen O’Connell
303 West 3rd Street, 4th Floor
San Bernardino, CA, 92415-0502
Community Petition:
http://chng.it/CpQBkPBZ
