In Re Detention of Lieberman

In 1980, respondent, Brad Lieberman, was convicted of seven counts of rape. Ill. Rev. Stat. 1981, ch. 38, par. 11 — 1. In January 2000, the State filed a petition in the circuit court of Cook County alleging that respondent is a “sexually violent person” subject to involuntary civil commitment pursuant to the Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act (the Act or Commitment Act) (725 ILCS 207/1 et seq. (West 1998)). At issue in this appeal is whether respondent’s 1980 convictions for the crime of rape constitute “sexually violent” offenses subjecting him to commitment as a “sexually violent…