AB 2625

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Existing law provides that if a defendant in a criminal proceeding is found mentally incompetent, the trial or judgment shall be suspended until the person becomes mentally competent. Existing law provides that the court shall order that the mentally incompetent defendant be delivered by the sheriff to a state hospital for the care and treatment of the mentally disordered, as directed by the State Department of State Hospitals, or to any other available public or private treatment facility approved by the community program director that will promote the defendant's speedy restoration to mental competence, or placed on outpatient status as specified. Existing law further specifies commitment proceedings to include circumstances for voluntary and involuntary administration of antipsychotic medication. Existing law requires the medical director of the state hospital or other treatment facility to which the defendant is confined to make a written report to the court and the community program director for the county or region of commitment, or a designee, concerning the defendant's progress toward recovery of mental competence, within 90 days of commitment. Existing law requires, that if the report indicates that there is no substantial likelihood that the defendant will regain mental competence in the foreseeable future, the committing court shall order the defendant to be returned to the court for conservatorship proceedings. This bill would require, if the report indicates that there is no substantial likelihood that the defendant will regain mental competence in the foreseeable future, the committing court to order the defendant to be returned to the court no later than 10 days following receipt of the report, and would require the medical director of the state hospital or other treatment facility in which the defendant is confined to promptly notify the defense counsel and the district attorney and to notify the committing county's sheriff that transportation will be needed for the patient. By imposing additional responsibilities on medical directors at local facilities, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law provides that at the end of 3 years from the date of commitment or a period of commitment equal to the maximum term of imprisonment provided by law for the most serious offense charged in the information, indictment, or misdemeanor complaint, whichever is shorter, a defendant who has not recovered mental competence shall be returned to the committing court. This bill would require the defendant to be returned to the committing court no later than 90 days prior to the expiration of his or her term of commitment. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 1370 of the Penal Code, proposed by AB 2186 and SB 1412, that would become operative only if this bill and either or both of those bills are enacted and become effective January 1, 2015, and this bill is enacted last. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.