LOS ANGELES – A judge in Santa Clara County Friday revoked the conditional release of a serial rapist who lived in an Antelope Valley home for about two years before being taken back into custody on suspicion of violating terms he had to follow to remain free.
Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Richard Loftus found there was “sufficient evidence” to justify ordering 65-year-old Christopher Evans Hubbart — the so-called “Pillowcase Rapist” — to be recommitted to a state hospital or other approved facility for violating terms of his release.
But in a lengthy footnote to his seven-page ruling, Loftus wrote: “The actions of the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office were, in this court’s view, reprehensible.”
In the footnote, the judge said the sheriff was “less than cooperative with the outpatient team, hampering success of the placement” of Hubbart in a county in which no other people designated as sexually violent predators had ever been placed.
The judge also noted that the District Attorney’s Office unsuccessfully tried in 2015 to have Hubbart’s conditional release revoked in an action that was “wholly without merit,” filed another such request and, “most seriously, interfered with the therapy by, in respondent’s (Hubbart’s) view, by a continuing pattern of seeking revocation that appears to this court to may be the reason respondent withheld information from the polygraph examiner.”
The D.A.’s office had no comment on the judge’s criticism, but District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in a statement that “Christopher Hubbart is a prolific serial rapist and even after years of treatment he remains a danger to women.”
“Today’s ruling reaffirms our belief that he should remain in a state hospital for additional treatment,” Los Angeles County’s top prosecutor said.
According to her office, Hubbard will be held for at least a year as a result of the ruling.
Hubbart was taken into custody Aug. 9 for violating several terms of his conditional release, including failing the five polygraph tests, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
A polygraph examiner who had given 11 polygraph tests to Hubbart reported that Hubbart admitted to him that he had withheld information during a post-exam interview in every exam he failed, and that Hubbart said he knew the district attorney had subpoenaed the polygraphs and that he made a choice to withhold certain information from the examiner, the judge noted.
Hubbart’s outpatient treatment supervisor also said Hubbart had violated other terms of his supervision treatment plan, including withholding information, not participating in a meaningful manner in treatment and not being transparent with his treatment providers, and that he felt Hubbart needed inpatient treatment, according to the judge’s ruling.
Hubbart was released from Coalinga State Hospital in July 2014 and was assigned by Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Gilbert Brown to live at a home in the 20300 block of East Avenue R, despite outcry from residents and area elected officials.
Hubbart was designated a sexually violent predator in Santa Clara County in 1996. His lawyers argued in 2014 that Hubbart’s continuing detention violated his rights to due process, sparking a battle over where he should live.
Residents of the area where Hubbart was sent to live vehemently opposed the decision, as did then-Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, who represented the area.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger — who replaced Antonovich — applauded the latest ruling.
“Hopefully, now we can close the final chapter of this dark saga and our Antelope Valley constituents can breathe a collective sigh of relief knowing this dangerous criminal is behind bars,” Barger said.
The District Attorney’s Office tried unsuccessfully in 2015 to have Hubbart’s release revoked, with Lacey saying “this violent predator continues to pose a serious danger to our community.” A judge, however, rejected the request.
Hubbart was sent to Atascadero State Hospital in 1972 after the court deemed him a “mentally disordered sex offender.” Seven years later, doctors said he posed no threat and released him.
Over the next two years, he raped another 15 women in the San Francisco Bay Area, according to court documents. Hubbart was again imprisoned, then paroled in 1990.
After accosting a woman in Santa Clara County, he was sent back to prison and then to Coalinga State Hospital.
As a condition of his release, Hubbart was required to wear an ankle monitor, attend regular therapy sessions and make quarterly reports to a judge. He was monitored by security guards working for a state contractor, who were said to maintain a 24-hour watch.
Editor’s note: Story updated to include additional details.
Previous related stories:
Revocation hearing underway for Pillowcase Rapist
Revocation hearing set for Pillowcase Rapist
Pillowcase Rapist taken into custody
Judge won’t revoke release of Pillowcase Rapist
Revocation hearing set for “Pillowcase Rapist
Reader: “Consider an alternative to fear and judgment”
‘Pillowcase Rapist’ released to AV
Pillowcase rapist release delayed
Judge approves release of ‘Pillowcase Rapist’ to AV
‘Pillowcase Rapist’ in AV: Deadline to submit comments
Has Antelope Valley become a ‘dumping ground’ for sex offenders?
Movement to keep ‘Pillowcase Rapist’ away gains momentum
Residents rally to keep serial rapist away
‘Pillowcase Rapist’ may be released in Palmdale area
Residents keep ‘Pillowcase Rapist’ from Lake LA home
–
J says
I am pretty sure the many women he terrorized, and raped would much rather he never step foot outside of a cage where he belongs…I bet if he did it to Addison’s relative they might have a change of feelings.
As a rape victim, I can tell you it is something I will never forget, no matter how long ago it happened…Nobody has the right to violate anybody that way, and to do it as many times as he has, proves to me beyond any doubt that he needs to be locked away where he can’t ever hurt anybody else!
He was given several chances to prove he was rehabilitated, and each time he just went out and raped more women…I don’t see why they don’t just execute him?
Callingitasitis says
Polygraph machine is not usually used on the delusional person because they really believe what they say, if the person said the sky is purple it is purple in their mind. The machine is only a tool to help those supervising the parolee/ probationer to get a clue of their activity, just like the GPS that is used. You actually need eyes on the ground to asset the supervised person activity. The machine only measure body reactions (good science), it is the operators who can be deceived or reads the outcome wrong. It is why the operator gets a baseline before the interview. You really cannot asset what is in anyone mind. This deviant has been well trained through his constant interface with the mental health doctors at Atascadero. He is not stupid. Yes, it cannot be used as evidence of illegal activity, it will only give you a clue at what to look for. An Intel tool, nothing more
.
http://www.dsh.ca.gov/Forensics/MDO.aspx
Not sure who author this law, but I know someone else can do the research
False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.
Socrates
barbara says
… bet you didn’t know, the mental health community boasts a handsome 6-figure economic incentive, for violating Hubbard’s parole. So happens, the wonderful mental health professionals staffing the mental health facility in Coalinga bill the people of the state of California a cool US$120 thousand per patient, per annum. Whensoever an empty bed comes available at the Coalinga nut house? With statistical certainty, you can bet your bottom dollar they’ll be cooking-up the first convenient excuse, to violate someone’s parole –
J says
He never should have been let out to begin with!
Addison says
Why should any serial criminal ever be let out after serving their criminal sentence?
This man served his court ordered sentence, and then some, and was deemed not to be afflicted with a mental condition that warranted continuing incarceration, err, detention. Assuming such a diagnosis and incarceration is not a clear violation of a person’s constitutional due process rights.
His current “offense” is the opinion of certain people, substantiated by polygraphs which are junk science to the point where they are not admissible as evidence in any court proceeding.
Not a fan of Mr. Hubbard here, but a yuuuge proponent of the US Constitution and its provision of equal Rights for all. Even people like Mr. Hubbard. Because when we start violating people’s rights based on popularity…. who knows…. me and mine might be next.
Tim Scott says
Because this one man is certainly worth abandoning the foundation of constitutional law that our entire country has been built upon, amIrite?
az says
His victims are worth keeping him incarcerated for life. Wait until it’s your wife or daughter or grandchild or mother. Then you won’t be interested in the constitutional rights of a convicted rapist one little bit. He long ago forfeited any rights he once had to be a free man.
Tim Scott says
The answer is changing the laws, not blatantly ignoring them. If you think rapists should be incarcerated for life then press for life sentencing for rapists rather than just whining about it when they are legally released. Truth be told if you want to press for life sentencing for rapists I’d be willing to help you.
Addison says
Murderers typically are not incarcerated for life (contrary to popular belief). Why should rapists? Why?
Tim Scott says
I’m more likely to support life sentencing for rapists than for murderers, generally.
Addison says
“Tim Scott says
January 14, 2017 at 8:22 pm
I’m more likely to support life sentencing for rapists than for murderers, generally.”
Seriously?!?!?!
Tim Scott says
Yeah, seriously.
There are a lot of differences from one murder to another.
Someone trapped in a dysfunctional family may never be exposed to the tools that might give them a way out, other than eventually feeling so cornered that they lash out and someone dies. They are a murderer, but from a practical standpoint they don’t pose a great threat to society at large.
Someone gets in a confrontation. Things escalate because neither side has the skills to defuse the situation because both are young and foolish. Someone dies, and someone is a murderer. The murderer could let this experience define them and be a huge risk to society. But they also might gain the wisdom from it that they couldn’t have found any other way and become a person that poses even less of a threat than the average person of lesser experience.
There are other possibilities.
But a rapist is a rapist. In my opinion they are a perpetual threat, because they see just taking a person they want as a viable path through life. So I certainly see an argument for life sentencing there.
Addison says
Why, then, is not any victim of crime worth keeping the perpetrator incarcerated for life? Why does not any criminal forfeit the right to ever ever again be a free person?
Any victim of crime is someone’s wife or husband or daughter or son or grandchild or mother or father. Any single one of them. Why in this case? Why?
Tim Scott says
As I already said, if you want to press for life sentences for rapists I will back your play.
However, if you want to say “he was sentenced under existing law and his sentence is up but….let’s just IGNORE the law and do what feels “right” I’m not going to take your side…even if it feels right to me. Trust me, I’m among the last people you would want in the “just do what you feel and ignore the law” camp…and I suspect you really don’t want to be there either.
Ron says
Let this guy move in with Tim Scott?
Tim Scott says
Ron, didn’t you feel silly enough the last time you said this?
barbara says
… laughing all the way to the bank, living the high life off the fat of the land, California taxpayers are being taken for a ride. You should see the cars these people are driving. You would not believe the lavish estates they live in. Push-me, pull me, we are being ping-ponged, by the mental health bureaucracy –