(1) A committed person may petition the committing court for discharge at any time. The court shall deny the petition under this section without a hearing unless the petition alleges facts from which the court or jury would likely conclude the person’s condition has changed since the most recent order denying a petition for discharge after a hearing on the merits, or since the date of his or her initial commitment order if the person has never received a hearing on the merits of a discharge petition, so that the person no longer meets the criteria for commitment as a sexually violent person. (1m) (a) If the person files a petition for discharge under sub. (1) without counsel, the court shall serve a copy of the petition and any supporting documents on the district attorney or department of justice, whichever is applicable. If the person petitions for discharge under sub. (1) through counsel, his or her attorney shall serve the district attorney or department of justice, whichever is applicable. (b) If the person files a petition for a discharge under sub. (1) without counsel, as soon as circumstances permit, the court shall refer the matter to the authority for indigency determinations under s. 977.07 (1) and appointment of counsel under s. 977.05 (4) (j). (c) If a person files a petition for discharge under sub. (1), the person may use experts or professional persons to support his or her petition. The district attorney or the department of justice may use experts or professional persons to support or oppose any petition filed under sub. (1). (d) After receiving a petition for discharge under sub. (1) and upon the request of the person filing the petition, unless the court previously appointed an examiner under s. 980.031 (3) or 980.07 (1) for the current reexamination period, the court shall appoint for the person an examiner having the specialized knowledge determined by the court to be appropriate. If an examination conducted under s. 980.07 (1) within the 6 months preceding the filing of the petition supports discharge, the court may appoint the examiner who conducted that examination as the examiner for the person. The examiner shall have reasonable access to the person for purposes of examination and to the person’s past and present treatment records, as defined in s. 51.30 (1) (b) , and patient health care records, as provided in s. 146.82 (2) (c). The county shall pay the costs of an examiner appointed under this paragraph as provided under s. 51.20 (18) (a). (2) In reviewing the petition, the court may hold a hearing to determine if the person’s condition has sufficiently changed such that a court or jury would likely conclude the person no longer meets the criteria for commitment as a sexually violent person. In determining under this subsection whether the person’s condition has sufficiently changed such that a court or jury would likely conclude that the person no longer meets the criteria for commitment, the court may consider the record, including evidence introduced at the initial commitment trial or the most recent trial on a petition for discharge, any current or past reports filed under s. 980.07, relevant facts in the petition and in the state’s written response, arguments of counsel, and any supporting documentation provided by the person or the state. If the court determines that the record does not contain facts from which a court or jury would likely conclude that the person no longer meets the criteria for commitment, the court shall deny the petition. If the court determines that the record contains facts from which a court or jury would likely conclude the person no longer meets the criteria for commitment, the court shall set the matter for trial. (3) The court shall hold a trial within 90 days of the determination that the person’s condition has sufficiently changed such that a court or jury would likely conclude that the person no longer meets the criteria for commitment as a sexually violent person. At trial, the state has the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that the person meets the criteria for commitment as a sexually violent person. (4) If the court or jury is satisfied that the state has not met its burden of proof under sub. (3), the person shall be discharged from the custody of the department. If the court or jury is satisfied that the state has met its burden of proof under sub. (3), the court shall proceed under s. 980.08 (4) to determine whether to modify the person’s existing commitment order by authorizing supervised release, unless the person waives consideration of the criteria in s. 980.08 (4) (cg). If the person waives consideration of these criteria, the waiver is a denial of supervised release for purposes of s. 980.08 (1). (5) If a court orders discharge of a committed person under this section, the court shall stay the execution of the order so that the department may comply with its statutory duties under s. 980.11 (2) and (3). The stay of execution may not exceed 10 working days and shall be for as short a period as necessary to permit the department to comply with s. 980.11 (2) and (3).
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