Section 2972 Of Article 4. Disposition Of Mentally Disordered Prisoners Upon Discharge From California Penal Code >> Title 1. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 7. >> Article 4.
2972
. (a) The court shall conduct a hearing on the petition under
Section 2970 for continued treatment. The court shall advise the
person of his or her right to be represented by an attorney and of
the right to a jury trial. The attorney for the person shall be given
a copy of the petition, and any supporting documents. The hearing
shall be a civil hearing, however, in order to reduce costs the rules
of criminal discovery, as well as civil discovery, shall be
applicable.
The standard of proof under this section shall be proof beyond a
reasonable doubt, and if the trial is by jury, the jury shall be
unanimous in its verdict. The trial shall be by jury unless waived by
both the person and the district attorney. The trial shall commence
no later than 30 calendar days prior to the time the person would
otherwise have been released, unless the time is waived by the person
or unless good cause is shown.
(b) The people shall be represented by the district attorney. If
the person is indigent, the county public defender shall be
appointed.
(c) If the court or jury finds that the patient has a severe
mental disorder, that the patient's severe mental disorder is not in
remission or cannot be kept in remission without treatment, and that
by reason of his or her severe mental disorder, the patient
represents a substantial danger of physical harm to others, the court
shall order the patient recommitted to the facility in which the
patient was confined at the time the petition was filed, or
recommitted to the outpatient program in which he or she was being
treated at the time the petition was filed, or committed to the State
Department of State Hospitals if the person was in prison. The
commitment shall be for a period of one year from the date of
termination of parole or a previous commitment or the scheduled date
of release from prison as specified in Section 2970. Time spent on
outpatient status, except when placed in a locked facility at the
direction of the outpatient supervisor, shall not count as actual
custody and shall not be credited toward the person's maximum term of
commitment or toward the person's term of extended commitment.
(d) A person shall be released on outpatient status if the
committing court finds that there is reasonable cause to believe that
the committed person can be safely and effectively treated on an
outpatient basis. Except as provided in this subdivision, the
provisions of Title 15 (commencing with Section 1600) of Part 2,
shall apply to persons placed on outpatient status pursuant to this
paragraph. The standard for revocation under Section 1609 shall be
that the person cannot be safely and effectively treated on an
outpatient basis.
(e) Prior to the termination of a commitment under this section, a
petition for recommitment may be filed to determine whether the
patient's severe mental disorder is not in remission or cannot be
kept in remission without treatment, and whether by reason of his or
her severe mental disorder, the patient represents a substantial
danger of physical harm to others. The recommitment proceeding shall
be conducted in accordance with the provisions of this section.
(f) Any commitment under this article places an affirmative
obligation on the treatment facility to provide treatment for the
underlying causes of the person's mental disorder.
(g) Except as provided in this subdivision, the person committed
shall be considered to be an involuntary mental health patient and he
or she shall be entitled to those rights set forth in Article 7
(commencing with Section 5325) of Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 5
of the Welfare and Institutions Code. Commencing January 1, 1986, the
State Department of Mental Health, or its successor, the State
Department of State Hospitals, may adopt regulations to modify those
rights as is necessary in order to provide for the reasonable
security of the inpatient facility in which the patient is being
held. This subdivision and the regulations adopted pursuant thereto
shall become operative on January 1, 1987, except that regulations
may be adopted prior to that date.