Jurors in Redwood City are set to decide whether convicted kidnapper Cameron Hooker should be legally branded a sexually violent predator, a label that could keep him locked in state custody indefinitely instead of giving him any shot at parole.
The San Mateo County Superior Court trial is scheduled to open at 9 a.m. next Monday at the Hall of Justice in Redwood City, where prosecutors will argue that Hooker, the man at the center of the infamous “Girl in the Box” case, still poses a serious threat to the public if released.
As reported by Action News Now, the proceeding is expected to feature dueling expert witnesses and psychological evaluations aimed at proving Hooker meets California’s strict sexually violent predator criteria. Prosecutors pursued the SVP petition to cut off any path to parole or conditional release.
What The Jury Will Decide
Under California law, jurors must unanimously find beyond a reasonable doubt that a person facing an SVP petition has qualifying prior sex convictions and a diagnosed mental disorder that makes them likely to commit new sexually violent crimes…