Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen Announces Commitment of Elijah Daniels Under Chapter 980

MADISON — Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced today that Elijah Daniels, 57, was committed in Burnett County Circuit Court under Wisconsin’s civil commitment law (Chapter 980, Wis. Stats.) following a three-day jury trial in Siren.  Circuit Court Judge Kelly Thimm presided over the case.

Chapter 980 of the Wisconsin Statutes relates to the control, care and treatment of sexually violent persons.  Under Wisconsin law, a person may be subject to a civil commitment when the person has been convicted of a sexually violent offense, has a mental disorder, and is dangerous to others because the mental disorder makes it likely he or she will commit further acts of sexual violence.  A civil commitment is defined in Wisconsin law as commitment to the custody and care of the Department of Health Services for control, care, and treatment until the person is no longer considered sexually violent.

According to the DOJ petition, in 1993 Daniels was convicted in Burnett County of Second Degree Sexual Assault, False Imprisonment and Battery, and was sentenced to a total of twelve years in prison.  Daniels was to be discharged from the Department of Corrections on August 17, 2010, but was detained at a Department of Health Services facility pending resolution of the court proceedings.

Assistant Attorney General Donald V. Latorraca represents the state in this case.