Humboldt County District Attorney seeks community input on relocation of previously convicted sexual predator

EUREKA, Calif. (KIEM) – A sexual predator may be re-released back into the Eureka community, in the Howard Heights area, and the Humboldt County District Attorney’s office is allowing the public to share any concerns they may have about that proposed placement.

Joshua Cooley was formerly convicted as a violent sexual predator, and in 2010 he was placed in the Coalinga State Hospital for treatment. In 2013, Cooley petitioned for release, but was denied by the Humboldt County Superior Court.

However, in a similar hearing in December 2016, the Humboldt County Superior Court ruled he should be released. The Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office disagrees with this decision, citing a “significant risk to public safety.”

There will be a hearing in the Humboldt County Court Department 4 next Thursday, August 23, for Judge John Feeney to hear public comment, and then decide whether not to approve Cooley’s proposed placement in the Howard Heights area.

The meeting begins at 8:30AM, and public speakers will be allotted five minutes each.