Placement of sexually violent predator postponed due to potential legal issues

Editor's note: This story was updated at 12:51 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9, 2026 to reflect the updated location of the Feb. 13 hearing. The proposed placement of William Stephenson, a sexually violent predator who was granted conditional release into the county in July 2023, has been postponed. On Jan. 12, 33935 Alta Oaks Road in Alta was announced as a possible placement for Stephenson. The Alta community packed a town hall on Jan. 20 to learn of Stephenson's possible placement and note the property was not a good placement due to concerns including Alta's rural nature and the property's proximity to home schools, Little Bear Tree Farm and Camp Alta. "The court has now determined that there are potential legal issues with the proposed placement that need to be investigated before a placement can occur," the Placer County District Attorney's Office announced Monday afternoon. The DA's Office confirmed the conditional release hearing previously scheduled on Feb. 13 has been changed to an evidentiary hearing to address the issues. According to the DA's Office, the hearing will review evidence about the address location and no placement order will be made. A rescheduled date for the placement hearing has not been provided. The hearing will be at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 13, in Department 4 of the Historic Courthouse in Auburn. The hearing is open to the public.