Section 10.07. Trial  


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  • (a)  Within  sixty  days  after  the  court  determines,  pursuant  to
      subdivision (k) of section 10.06 of this article, that there is probable
      cause to believe that the respondent is a sex offender  requiring  civil
      management,  the  court  shall conduct a jury trial to determine whether
      the respondent is a detained sex offender  who  suffers  from  a  mental
      abnormality.  The  trial  shall  be  held  before  the  same  court that
      conducted the probable cause hearing unless either the attorney  general
      or  counsel  for  the respondent has moved for a change of venue and the
      motion has been granted by the court.
        (b) The provisions of article forty-one of the civil practice law  and
      rules  shall apply to the formation and conduct of jury trial under this
      section, except that the provisions of the  following  sections  of  the
      criminal procedure law shall govern to the extent that the provisions of
      article  forty-one  of the civil practice law and rules are inconsistent
      therewith: sections 270.05, 270.10, 270.15, 270.20, subdivision  one  of
      section  270.25,  and  subdivision one of section 270.35 (except for the
      provisions thereof requiring consent for the replacement of a discharged
      juror with an alternate). Each side shall have ten peremptory challenges
      for the regular jurors and two for each alternate juror to be  selected.
      The  right  to a trial by jury may be waived by the respondent, and upon
      such waiver, the court shall conduct a trial in accordance with  article
      forty-two  of the civil practice law and rules, excluding provisions for
      decision-making by referees.
        (c) The provisions of subdivision (g) of section 10.08 of this article
      and article forty-five of the civil practice  law  and  rules  shall  be
      applicable  to  trials  conducted pursuant to this section. The jury may
      hear evidence of the degree to which the respondent cooperated with  the
      psychiatric  examination. If the court finds that the respondent refused
      to submit to a psychiatric examination pursuant to  this  article,  upon
      request  it shall so instruct the jury. The respondent's commission of a
      sex offense shall be deemed established and shall not be relitigated  at
      the  trial,  whenever  it  is  shown  that:  (i)  the  respondent stands
      convicted of such offense; or (ii) the respondent  previously  has  been
      found  not  responsible  by  reason  of mental disease or defect for the
      commission of such offense or for  an  act  or  acts  constituting  such
      offense.  Whenever the petition alleges the respondent's commission of a
      designated felony prior to the effective date of this article, the issue
      of whether such offense was sexually motivated shall  be  determined  by
      the jury.
        (d)  The jury, or the court if a jury trial is waived, shall determine
      by clear and convincing evidence whether the respondent  is  a  detained
      sex  offender who suffers from a mental abnormality. The burden of proof
      shall be on the attorney general. A determination, if made by the  jury,
      must  be  by  unanimous  verdict.  In  charging  the  jury,  the court's
      instructions shall include the admonishment that the jury may  not  find
      solely on the basis of the respondent's commission of a sex offense that
      the  respondent  is  a  detained  sex offender who suffers from a mental
      abnormality. In the case of a respondent committed pursuant  to  article
      seven  hundred  thirty  of the criminal procedure law for a sex offense,
      the attorney general shall have the  burden  of  proving  by  clear  and
      convincing  evidence  that  the  respondent  did  engage  in the conduct
      constituting such offense.
        (e) If the jury unanimously, or the court if a jury trial  is  waived,
      determines that the attorney general has not sustained his or her burden
      of  establishing  that  the  respondent  is  a detained sex offender who
      suffers from a mental abnormality, the court shall dismiss the  petition
      and  the  respondent  shall  be  released  if  and as warranted by other
    
      provisions of law. If the jury is unable to render a unanimous  verdict,
      the  court  shall  continue  any  commitment order previously issued and
      schedule a second trial to be held within sixty days in accordance  with
      the  provisions  of subdivision (a) of this section. If the jury in such
      second trial is unable to render a unanimous verdict as to  whether  the
      respondent  is  a  detained  sex  offender  who  suffers  from  a mental
      abnormality, the court shall dismiss the petition.
        (f) If the jury, or the court if a jury trial  is  waived,  determines
      that the respondent is a detained sex offender who suffers from a mental
      abnormality,  then  the court shall consider whether the respondent is a
      dangerous sex offender requiring confinement or a sex offender requiring
      strict and intensive  supervision.  The  parties  may  offer  additional
      evidence,  and  the  court shall hear argument, as to that issue. If the
      court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the respondent  has  a
      mental  abnormality involving such a strong predisposition to commit sex
      offenses, and such an inability to control behavior, that the respondent
      is likely to be a danger to others and to commit  sex  offenses  if  not
      confined  to  a secure treatment facility, then the court shall find the
      respondent to be a dangerous sex offender requiring confinement. In such
      case, the respondent shall be committed to a secure  treatment  facility
      for  care, treatment, and control until such time as he or she no longer
      requires confinement. If the court does not find that the respondent  is
      a  dangerous  sex  offender  requiring confinement, then the court shall
      make a finding of disposition that the  respondent  is  a  sex  offender
      requiring  strict and intensive supervision, and the respondent shall be
      subject to a regimen of strict and intensive supervision  and  treatment
      in accordance with section 10.11 of this article. In making a finding of
      disposition,  the  court  shall  consider  the  conditions that would be
      imposed upon the respondent if  subject  to  a  regimen  of  strict  and
      intensive supervision, and all available information about the prospects
      for the respondent's possible re-entry into the community.