People v. Williams

A jury found that defendant and appellant Robert Williams is a sexually violent predator within the meaning of Welfare and Institutions Code section 6600 (the Sexually Violent Predators Act). [1] The court ordered defendant committed to Atascadero State Hospital for a period of two years, beginning on September 13, 2001. On appeal, defendant contends that the order of commitment should be reversed because the trial court erred in refusing to instruct the jury that defendant's mental disorder must render him unable to control his dangerous behavior. Defendant argues that a finding of a defendant's absolute inability to control his or her behavior was constitutionally required in order to commit defendant under the Sexually Violent Predators Act (the SVP Act). We affirm the order.

Defendant was convicted of raping three women. The first incident occurred on January 22, 1981, when defendant initiated a conversation with a woman in a laundromat, left the laundromat, and later returned and masturbated in front of her. Defendant then grabbed the woman. She ran out of the laundromat and fell. Defendant then dragged her to a nearby park and raped her. Defendant was still raping…