Court reschedules commitment trial of sex offender detained at McNeil Island
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Jake Unick's civil commitment trial delayed to April 14, 2026 due to scheduling.
- State seeks indefinite confinement of Unick under sexually violent predator law.
- Unick remains held at McNeil Island as defense secures expert witness testimony.
The trial of a Whatcom County man being held at a corrections facility for sex offenders on McNeil Island has been pushed back to April 14, 2026, a Whatcom County Superior Court judge ruled Thursday.
The Washington State Attorney General’s Office filed a petition in September seeking to civilly commit Jake Unick, 39, indefinitely to McNeil Island Special Commitment Center, which houses “sexually violent predators” after their prison terms have ended.
Unick was initially arrested for attempting to kidnap two girls and one woman off the street and briefly taking a 2-year-old girl from the Fred Meyer grocery store on West Bakerview Road in 2013. He was convicted the following year of one count of first-degree kidnapping, two counts of second-degree kidnapping with sexual motivation and one count of harassment.
Unick was sentenced on Aug. 5, 2014 to 10 years in prison, with three years probation. However, before his release, then-Attorney General Bob Ferguson petitioned for Unick to be held at McNeil Island instead, citing the danger he posed to the community.
Judge Robert Olson agreed with the state, and ruled that Unick remained a threat to the public and should be held until he faces trial on the civil commitment.
Thursday’s court proceeding
Unick’s trial was initially set for June 3 but was pushed back due to an attorney’s medical emergency. Unick appeared in court Thursday remotely from McNeil Island for a status conference. His defense attorneys and prosecutors with the Attorney General’s Office also were on the video call.
Defense attorney Shauna Bean said she spoke with Unick for “quite some time” prior to the court proceedings, and that he and his lawyers are “very anxious to get a date set.”
The new trial date was partially contingent on the availability of the defense’s expert witness, as well as the general availability of attorneys and Olson.
Bean said she could “confidently relay that (her) client is frustrated,” but understands the importance of having the expert witness.
Unick’s trial is expected to last at least a month.
What is the trial about?
Unick’s trial will not be about any previous crimes he committed or was convicted of. Instead, the state is charged with proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Unick meets the criteria to be designated a “sexually violent predator.”
State law defines a “sexually violent predator” as “any person who has been convicted of or charged with a crime of sexual violence and who suffers from a mental abnormality or personality disorder which makes the person likely to engage in predatory acts of sexual violence if not confined in a secure facility.”
If the jury determines that Unick meets this definition, he will be involuntarily committed to the Special Commitment Center indefinitely. While there, he is expected to receive treatment and services provided by the state department of social and health services. He will be reviewed annually by a professional to see if he still meets the criteria.
Olson ruled in September that there was probable cause for Unick to face a civil commitment trial.