Glen Matteson v. Rhode Island Department of Attorney General

Syllabus

The petitioner appealed from a Superior Court judgment in favor of the respondent, the Rhode Island Department of the Attorney General, upholding a determination by the Sex Offender Board of Review classifying him as a Level III, high-risk sex offender. The Supreme Court concluded that the Superior Court justice properly found that competent evidence existed to support affirming the board's assessment and that the petitioner failed to show, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the board's classification of him as a Level III offender was not in compliance with the law. The Supreme Court noted that the board fulfilled its statutory duty by considering the results of three validated assessment tools and other materials to determine the level of risk that petitioner posed to the community. The Supreme Court emphasized that the board is obligated to base its classification of an offender on the results of the objective risk-assessment tool(s) and external factors collected from additional materials and documentation. Accordingly, the Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the Superior Court.