CA AB1983

Authorizes use of documentary evidence at probable cause hearings in sexually violent predator civil commitment cases to establish prior sexual offense convictions and underlying details of those offenses.

Permits documentary evidence including police reports, hospital records, prison records, preliminary hearing transcripts, trial transcripts, and probation/sentencing reports to show details of prior sexual offenses at probable cause hearings.

Allows hearsay evidence to be presented at probable cause hearings to relieve sexual assault victims from the burden of testifying about details of non-predicate offenses.

Maintains existing requirement that judges determine probable cause to believe an individual is likely to engage in sexually violent predatory criminal behavior upon release before ordering continued custody and trial.