Protesters from Southern California attended a hearing that will determine whether to lock up "Pillowcase Rapist" Christopher Hubbart in a state mental hospital or allow him to continue living near their communities.
About five residents from the high desert communities of Acton, Palmdale, Lake Los Angeles, Littlerock and Rosamond are at Wednesday's hearing in a Santa Clara County courtroom, where a judge will consider whether to revoke Hubbart's conditional release. There was widespread outrage among residents when Hubbart was released to an area near Palmdale last July.
"Emotionally, it take a toll going out there, understanding all the literature that's published about him," said Beth Bagley, an Acton resident at the hearing. "You read it and it's so disturbing.
"I'm not willing to risk anybody else's life or well-being in order to say, 'Well, this guy served his time. Let him go.' That's not acceptable."
A ruling is not expected to be announced Wednesday. At issue is whether Hubbart violated terms of his release by not charging his GPS ankle bracelet and whether he took out a load of trash without supervision of security guards.
Hubbart testified for about an hour. He admitted he did not fully charge the GPS monitor because he was not aware plugging it in for longer would provide a full charge. He characterized it as a simple mistake.
When she announced the hearing would be taking place earlier this month, Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said it was a positive step.
U.S. & World
"We believe this violent predator continues to pose a serious danger to our community," Lacey said. "My office is committed to protecting the public."
Hubbart admitted to raping 38 women in California between 1971 and 1982, about two dozen of which occurred in LA County. He was released to the Bay Area in 1979, where he raped 15 more women. He became known as the "Pillowcase Rapist" because he muffled victims' screams with pillowcases.
Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Richard Loftus approved Lacey's request to consider revoking 64-year-old Hubbart's conditional release. Back in July 2014 Santa Clara County Judge Gilbert Brown granted Hubbart's motion for conditional release from a state hospital and allowed him to live in Lake Los Angeles.
Brown has since retired.
Loftus is expected to listsen to severl hours of testimony.
Hubbart was said to be being monitored round-the-clock, and attending twice weekly therapy sessions. He is also required to wear a monitoring device around his ankle, undergo polygraph exams and submit to random searches of his house.
"We're very hopeful and excited, hoping he gets sent back to Coalinga where he belongs under lock and key, where someone is watching him," said Norma Valenti of Palmdale, one of the many people who drove from Southern California to San Jose for the hearing. "We'd feel safer again. Our kids could come out and play."
Steven Clark, a legal analyst and former Santa Clara County deputy district attorney, said the prosecutors would have to convince a judge based on two things: That they have new evidence, such as a mental health expert, who would say that Hubbart is not fit for release anymore, or that he violated a term of his release.
And that second matter, Clark said, would likely be very easy to show.
"The Mr. Hubbarts of the world are under a microscope," Clark said. "It's very easy to violate your terms, even if you're trying. And there is a tremendous outcry over this case, with people saying, 'This man is just not safe because he's not locked.'"
Valenti said daily protests have occurred during the past nine months outside the home about 60 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
"We've been there during extreme heat, extreme cold, wind blowing in our faces," said Valenti. "We haven't missed day."
