Blakely v. Superior Court

Opinion

IKOLA, J.

Petitioner Felicia Blakely challenges the determination of the Board of Parole Hearings (Board) that she is a mentally disordered offender (MDO). (See Pen. Code, § 2960 et seq.; MDO Act.) She contends California’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) violated the mandatory deadline for MDO evaluations and certification: i.e., “[p]rior to release on parole . . . .” (§ 2962, subd. (d)(1).)

We agree. Parallel language in the MDO Act—“ ‘Prior to the termination of a commitment’ ”—sets a mandatory deadline for filing recommitment petitions. (People v. Allen (2007) 42…