Referring all level three sex offenders to county attorneys for civil commitment

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Another day has passed without a sign of Dru Sjodin, the 22-year-old college student who went missing last month after her shift at a Grand Forks shopping mall. The man charged with kidnapping made his first appearance in a North Dakota courtroom this afternoon. A judge set bail for Alfonso Rodriguez Junior at $5 million dollars. Rodriguez entered no plea, but requested to remain in jail, for his own safety. Rodriguez is a convicted rapist who was released by Minnesota authorities last May even though he was rated a level three sex offender -- the category deemed the highest risk to reoffend. His arrest in the Sjodin disappearance has prompted the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Corrections order her department to refer all level three sex offenders to county attorneys for civil commitment. Until now, officials with the Corrections Department have conducted interviews and psychiatric evaluations of all level three sex offenders. The department would then recommend civil commitment for the offenders judged most likely to commit another sex crime. Critics say the policy shift is shortsighted and will place an undue burden on county attorneys and the courts. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports...

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