[¶ 1] Donald Beauchene appeals from a judgment entered in the Superior Court (Kennebec County, Mullen, J.) denying his petition for discharge or modified release from psychiatric hospitalization pursuant to 15 M.R.S. § 104-A (2016). We affirm the judgment.
I. BACKGROUND
[¶ 2] In 1970, Beauchene was acquitted of a murder charge by reason of a mental disease or defect and was committed to the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services; where he remains committed pursuant to 15 M.R.S. § 103 (2016). On February 22, 2016, Beauchene filed in the Superior Court a petition seeking discharge or a modified treatment plan. The court held a- hearing on the petition on September 16, 2016, at which three mental health professionals testified. The' court denied the petition by -written order dated October 24,2016.
; [¶ 3] The court made the following findings of fact, which are supported by com
[¶ 4] Beauchene exhibits mental health symptoms that are consistent with antisocial personality disorder, and those symptoms have been consistent since 1970. He demonstrates rigidness, deceitfulness, and lack of remorse for his criminal behavior, as well as a lack of insight into his criminal and mental health history. His past behavior has raised concerns about grooming and targeting vulnerable women and his risk of flight. The court concluded that Beauchene’s mental condition has “changed very little, if any[,] since” 1970, and if- discharged, released, or placed in a modified treatment plan, Beauchene would pose a risk of harm or danger to himself or to others. The court accordingly denied the petition. Beauchene timely appealed pursuant to 15 M.R.S. § 2115 (2016) and M.R. App. P. 2.
II. DISCUSSION
A. Sufficiency of the Evidence
[¶ 5] Beauchene first contends that the evidence compelled the trial court to conclude that he does not suffer from a mental disease or defect.
[¶ 6] “When the acquittee seeks release or discharge from Department custody, it is the acquittee’s burden to establish, by clear and convincing evidence, that he ‘may be released or discharged without likelihood that [he] will cause injury to [himself] or to others due to mental disease or defect.’ ” Begin v. State,
[¶ 7] “Whether an insanity ac-quittee has a mental disease or defect is a factual issue .... ” Beal v. State,
[¶ 8] Beauehene notes that at his trial in 1970, the only evidence presented of a mental disease or defect diagnosis was his own theory of an “explosive personality,” and according to the State’s expert witnesses at trial, anti-social personality disorder was not a clinical diagnosis that met the definition of a “mental disease or defect.” He argues that the undisputed evidence presented to the trial court on his petition for release establishes that he had, and still has, an anti-social personality disorder, not “explosive personality,” and because anti-social personality disorder is not a mental disease or defect, the evidence compels a finding that he does not suffer from a mental disease or defect.
[¶ 9] Beauchene’s argument conflates the medical evidence regarding his mental illness symptoms with the legal determination of whether he has a mental disease or defect. Cf. Parrish v. Colorado,
[¶ 10] In delivering its verdict, the jury necessarily found, at Beauchene’s urging, that Beauchene’s mental health symptoms constituted a “mental disease or defect.” All three mental health professionals who testified at the petition for release hearing opined that Beauehene exhibits the same symptoms that were present in 1970, and, as a result of those symptoms, he continues to present a risk of injury to himself or to others. In ruling on the petition, it was the exclusive domain of the trial court to determine whether Beau-chene’s symptoms, described by the expert witnesses, comported with a constitutionally-valid legal definition of a “mental disease or defect” — a legal concept for the court to apply to the evidence, not a medical determination. See Beal, 20.16 ME 169, ¶ 6,
[¶ 11] The trial court’s findings that Beauchene’s symptoms have remained consistent since 1970; that he thus suffers from a mental disease or defect; and that as a result of that mental disease or defect, he' continues to present a risk of harm to others, are all supported by competent record evidence and thus the evidence does not compel a contrary conclusion. The fact remains that Beauchene convinced a jury in 1970 that he suffered from a mental disease or defect, and because, as the trial court found, his mental condition has n'ot changed and he continues to present a risk of injury, Beauchene has not met his burden for release or discharge pursuant to 15 M.R.S. § 104-A(1).
B. Vagueness
[¶12] .Beauchene next argues that 15 M.R.S. § 104-A is unconstitutionally vague. Because the parties agree that this argument was not presented to the trial court and is unpreserved, we review for obvious error. See Gessner v. State,
[¶ 13] The challenger has the burden to establish that a statute is unconstitutional and, as a general matter, we presume that a statute is constitutional. See State v. Reckards,
[¶ 14] Pursuant to the statute, Beau-chene was required to establish “that [he] may be released or discharged without likelihood that [he] will cause injtíry to [himself] or to others' due to mental disease or mental defect.” 15 M.R.S. § 104-A(l). Beauchene contends that the statute provides insufficient notice of what must be proved to be entitled to release. He argues that the definitions of- “likelihood” and “injury,” and the indefinite timé period for assessing likelihood of injury, render the statute unconstitutionally vagué.
[¶ 16] Here, the trial court properly applied the statute and explained in clear terms why, based on Beauchene’s criminal history and present- mental health symptoms, he had not satisfied his burden.
C. Due Process
[¶ 17] Beauchene lastly argues that his continued confinement violates due process.
The entry is:
Judgment affirmed.
Notes
. In 1970, the applicable definition of "mental disease or defect” derived from 15 M.R.S.A. § 102 (1964). See In re Beauchene,
. Beauchene’s experts presented his diagnosis at the murder trial as “explosive personality.” At the hearing before the trial court from which Beauehene now appeals, several expert witnesses testified about the differing psychiatric terminology used in 1970. One doctor testified that "explosive personality” would today be classified as "intermittent explosive disorder,” which is a recognized mental disease or defect, while under contemporary medical standards and definitions, anti-social personality disorder would not be considered a mental disease or defect. According to the expert witnesses, Beauchene’s symptoms were categorized as “personality disorder not otherwise specified, with mainly antisocial and narcissistic features” — symptoms that do not fit a specific diagnosis, and in particular do not entirely correspond to the psychiatric features of anti-social personality disorder.
, Although, as Beauchene emphasizes, "[Section 104-A(l) does not require a petitioner to prove a change in circumstances from the time of the not criminally responsible ver- . diet,” James v. State,
. Beauchene argues that the statute encourages arbitrary enforcement of the law. His reliance on language from our decision in Taylor v. Comm'r of Mental Health & Mental Retardation,
. Beauchene further argues that even assuming that he poses a risk of causing injury, his confinement is not "narrowly focused” to a relevant state interest because the State could instead utilize the involuntary commitment process, see 34-B M.R.S. § 3864 (2016), This argument overlooks the procedural and practical realities underpinning Beauchene’s current commitment and the court’s determination that he continues to suffer from a mental illness and as a result presents a risk of injury to himself or others — a finding that precludes his release or discharge from his present commitment. See 15 M.R.S. § 104-A(1); see also Foucha v. Louisiana,
