BELLINGHAM — Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a petition today urging a Whatcom County Superior Court judge to civilly commit a sex offender to McNeil Island, preventing his release into the community.
Jake Unick, 38, was convicted in Whatcom County in 2014 of two counts of first-degree attempted kidnapping with sexual motivation, one count of first-degree kidnapping, and one count of harassment. Unick is currently in prison and due for release on Sept. 5. The Attorney General’s Office petitioned to have him committed, alleging that he is mentally ill and dangerous.
The civil commitment petition consists of allegations that have not yet been proven in a court of law. A judge will hold a probable cause hearing for Unick in early September to determine whether to confine him at McNeil Island pending a trial.
Prosecutors will still have the burden to prove the allegations in court. A jury verdict must be unanimous to continue to detain an individual on McNeil Island as a sexually violent predator.
Assistant Attorneys General Nathan Olson and Colette Sampson and paralegals Rebecca Hendrickson and Kelly Hadsell will handle the case for the state.
Washington’s Sexually Violent Predator law allows the state Attorney General’s Office to petition for the civil commitment of violent sex offenders who, because of a mental abnormality and/or personality disorder, are proven likely to engage in predatory acts of sexual violence if released.
In 1990, Washington became the first state in the nation to pass a law permitting the involuntary civil commitment of sex offenders after they serve their criminal sentences. The Sexually Violent Predator Unit was established shortly thereafter.
The unit is responsible for prosecuting sex predator cases for 38 of Washington’s 39 counties (King County being the exception).
As of Aug. 2, there are 183 sexually violent predators in the state’s Special Commitment Program.
Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.
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