Ward v. State

MORRIS, Judge.

Michael Ward appeals the denial of his petition for writ of habeas corpus, which he filed in DeSoto County seeking his release from civil commitment under the Jimmy Ryce Act. We write to explain the reasons we affirm the denial of Ward’s petition.

I. Background

The early procedural history of this case is set out in Ward v. State, 986 So.2d 479, 480 (Fla.2008):

Michael Ward pled guilty to two separate acts of rape in 1969 and two more in 1976. In 1983, the Third District reversed the 1969 convictions because counsel had misadvised Ward about the consequences of his guilty plea.…