Right to counsel

California , Legislation , Sexually Dangerous Persons - Commitment

There is a right to counsel for indigent respondents in sexually violent predator commitment cases, including for review of the commitment.  Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 6603(a), 6605(a)(3).

In People v. Hill, 162 Cal. Rptr. 3d 3 (Cal. App. 2013), the Court of Appeals concluded that there is a right to effective assistance of counsel in sexually violent predator proceedings.

Appointment of Counsel: Yes
Qualified: No
? If "yes", the established right to counsel or discretionary appointment of counsel is limited in some way, including any of: the only authority is a lower/intermediate court decision or a city council, not a high court or state legislature; there has been a subsequent case that has cast doubt; a statute is ambiguous; or the right or discretionary appointment is not for all types of individuals or proceedings within that category.