Posted by Larry Hoover on June 10, 2003, at 19:32:26
In reply to Re: High court supports mentally-ill physicist, posted by mattdds on June 10, 2003, at 15:51:51
> >>This guy is not safe to be around. He was threatening to harm others. He cannot just be left alone
>
> Yes, you are right. But he is being hospitalized, as a result of his decision to not be medicated, right?
>
> I don't know all the details about this trial, and don't have my mind made up completely about this issue. But a big part of me says that it is wrong to force someone into a treatment that they do not want (this does not mean to let him roam free if he chooses to go unmedicated, mind you).
>
> MattThe physicist (Starson) was put on trial for making threats against people, and was found to be incapable of appreciating the nature of his crimes. As a result, he was ordered into a secure psychiatric facility for one year (which is renewable, annually), or until such time as he was deemed to no longer be a risk to himself or others. It is the determination of his doctors that he requires medication if he has any hope of release. By choosing to remain unmedicated, Starson also precludes his being released from the secure psychiatric institution.
I hope it's not too lengthy, but I find the complete Supreme Court ruling to be a fascinating read. Both the majority (denying forced medication) and minority (pro-medication) arguments are given in their entirety at:
http://www.lexum.umontreal.ca/csc-scc/en/rec/html/2003scc032.wpd.htmlLar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:232273
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20030529/msgs/233024.html