Gov. Mark Dayton
Governor Mark Dayton could be headed for a showdown with federal Judge Donovan Frank, who ordered the state to promptly evaluate people in its Sex Offender Treatment program, and release those who no longer pose enough risk to the public to remain in custody.
The governor warns the judge’s order would result in releasing sex offenders without proper evaluation, and says he won’t take a chance on them victimizing someone else. Dayton says, “I’d never want to put a family, a Minnesota family, in that situation — and it’s my responsibility, to the extent humanly possible, to make sure that that never happens.”
Judge Frank has told lawmakers for over a year that the program violates constitutional rights, but Dayton and the legislature haven’t been able to agree to changes.