Brown County Court Commits Samuel Staeven To Treatment Under Chapter 980

MADISON Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced today that on January 21, 2009, Samuel Staeven, a Brown County resident, age 41, was found to be a sexually violent person under Wisconsins civil commitment law (Chapter 980, Wis. Stats.) following a two‑day court trial in Green Bay.  Brown County Circuit Court Judge Marc A. Hammer 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 more likely than not that 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 petition, on August 1, 2001, Staeven was convicted of Child Enticement-Sexual Contact in Brown County.  Staeven made multiple attempts to convince a 14-year-old female to have intercourse with him at his residence.  Staeven was sentenced to 6 years in Wisconsin state prison and six years extended supervision.  In October 1992, Staeven was convicted of Contributing to the Delinquency of a Child (Repeater), Sexual Intercourse with a Child 16 or Older, and Interference with Custody by a Parent.  He received two years probation which was revoked in April 1993.  Staeven was scheduled to be released from Green Bay Correctional Institution on March 13, 2007.  Upon a recommendation from the Department of Corrections, the Department of Justice reviewed Staevens case and filed a petition on February 26, 2007, seeking to commit him as a sexually violent person. 

Staeven has now been committed to the custody of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and is expected to be placed at the Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center in Mauston, Wisconsin, for the purpose of receiving care, control and treatment.

Assistant Attorney General Gary Freyberg represented the state in this trial.