In re Craig H.

2020 IL App (4th) 190061
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedJuly 10, 2020
Docket4-19-0061
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 2020 IL App (4th) 190061 (In re Craig H.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Craig H., 2020 IL App (4th) 190061 (Ill. Ct. App. 2020).

Opinion

Digitally signed by Reporter of Decisions Reason: I attest to Illinois Official Reports the accuracy and integrity of this document Appellate Court Date: 2020.07.10 11:00:48 -05'00'

In re Craig H., 2020 IL App (4th) 190061

Appellate Court In re CRAIG H., a Person Found Subject to Administration of Caption Psychotropic Medication (The People of the State of Illinois, Petitioner-Appellee, v. Craig H., Respondent-Appellant).

District & No. Fourth District No. 4-19-0061

Filed April 7, 2020 Rehearing denied May 28, 2020

Decision Under Appeal from the Circuit Court of Sangamon County, No. 18-MH-339; Review the Hon. Esteban F. Sanchez, Judge, presiding.

Judgment Affirmed.

Counsel on Veronique Baker and Kelly R. Choate, of Guardianship and Advocacy Appeal Commission, of Springfield, for appellant.

Daniel K. Wright, State’s Attorney, of Springfield (Patrick Delfino, David J. Robinson, and Timothy J. Londrigan, of State’s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor’s Office, of counsel), for the People. Panel JUSTICE HOLDER WHITE delivered the judgment of the court, with opinion. Presiding Justice Steigmann and Justice DeArmond concurred in the judgment and opinion.

OPINION

¶1 Respondent, Craig H., appeals from the trial court’s order finding him subject to involuntary administration of psychotropic medication pursuant to section 2-107.1 of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code (Mental Health Code) (405 ILCS 5/2- 107.1 (West 2018)). He argues the court’s judgment should be reversed because (1) the case falls under an exception to the mootness doctrine, (2) the trial court erred by denying respondent’s motion to dismiss, and (3) the court’s order for involuntary administration of psychotropic medication stripped respondent of his right to self-determination under the Powers of Attorney for Health Care Law (Powers of Attorney Law) (755 ILCS 45/4-1 et seq. (West 2018)) and violated both the Mental Health Code and the Powers of Attorney Law. ¶2 Although we conclude respondent’s claim regarding involuntary administration is moot, we address respondent’s claims under the capable of repetition yet evading review and the public interest exceptions to the mootness doctrine. For the following reasons, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

¶3 I. BACKGROUND ¶4 In November 2018, Dr. Aura Eberhardt, a psychiatrist at Andrew McFarland Mental Health Center (McFarland), filed a petition for administration of psychotropic medication under section 2-107.1 of the Mental Health Code (405 ILCS 5/2-107.1 (West 2018)). That same month, respondent filed a motion to dismiss the petition for involuntary treatment. Attached to the motion to dismiss was a copy of respondent’s signed statutory short form power of attorney for health care. Respondent signed the power of attorney in September 2013 and named his mother, Teresa H., as his agent. The power of attorney authorized Teresa H. “to act for [respondent] and in [his] name (in any way [he] could act in person) to make any and all decisions for [him] concerning [his] personal care, medical treatment, hospitalization and health care and to require, withhold or withdraw any type of medical treatment or procedure, even though [his] death may ensue.” The motion alleged a valid power of attorney existed and Teresa H. disagreed with the proposed treatment and refused to consent to administration of the proposed medications. Further, the motion alleged as follows: “Because the determination to refuse medical treatment lies with the agent, and because the agent has refused the treatment proposed in the petition, and because there is no allegation that the agent is not competent to make the decision, the court lacks the authority to countermand the decision of the agent and the petition should be dismissed.” ¶5 On December 6, 2018, the trial court held a hearing on the motion to dismiss. The State argued section 2-107.1 was an exception to the rule of informed consent and a power of attorney extended a person’s consent to another. Normally, a power of attorney’s refusal of treatment would be the end of the matter, but under section 2-107.1 that “refusal doesn’t carry the day, because of this sentence in 107.1 saying that this is an exception to informed consent.”

-2- The State further argued the statute allowed involuntary administration either under the provisions of section 2-107.1(a-5) or with the consent of a power of attorney under section 2- 107.1(e). According to the State, there was no additional language in the statute that precluded the State from bringing a petition for involuntary medication if the power of attorney refused treatment. ¶6 Respondent argued the decision of a power of attorney must be honored. Further, respondent argued the Powers of Attorney Law contained a supremacy clause providing that the Powers of Attorney Law controlled if another law conflicted with its provisions. Respondent asserted that involuntary medication under section 2-107.1(a-5) was only appropriate when the patient had no mental health declaration or power of attorney. ¶7 The trial court acknowledged the case law shed little light on the specific issue before the court. For the reasons set forth by the State, the court denied the motion to dismiss and set the matter for a hearing on the petition for involuntary administration of psychotropic medication. ¶8 On December 28, 2018, the trial court held a hearing on the petition for involuntary administration. The court heard the following evidence. ¶9 Dr. Eberhardt testified respondent was admitted on November 29, 2016, as unfit to stand trial for a felony burglary charge in La Salle County. Dr. Eberhardt testified respondent was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, at age 25. At the time of trial respondent was 54 years old. Dr. Eberhardt described respondent’s symptoms as follows: “[Respondent] presents at this time with psychotic symptoms, consisting of hallucinations, as evidenced by him responding to hallucinations by talking to himself, talking about himself in third person, saying things like, [‘]Craig, don’t touch food. Craig, don’t sleep. Craig, you need to marry.[’] He presents with paranoia. For example, he believes that his belongings are stolen. He presents with inability to sleep. He averages 1.9 hours of sleep per day. He presents with poor impulse control, hypersexuality, and psychomotor agitation. As examples, he’s pacing when—the entire time when he is awake. As far as hypersexuality, I have examples where [respondent] approached female peers and female staff, trying to kiss them, trying to sniff them, standing in their door while they were sleeping at night. As far as poor impulse control, I have the examples of physical aggression.” According to Dr. Eberhardt, respondent’s symptoms worsened at the end of June or beginning of July when he began to present with hypersexuality, physical aggression, irritability, and hostility. Dr. Eberhardt testified respondent lacked the capacity to make treatment decisions. When approached regarding his psychiatric illness, respondent denied having such an illness and talked about getting out of McFarland “to marry a German girl and make her rich.” ¶ 10 Dr. Eberhardt opined respondent had no insight into his illness and lacked the ability to rationally weigh the pros and cons of medication. Since July 2018, respondent exhibited a deterioration of his ability to function due to his mental illness. Dr. Eberhardt testified respondent failed to sleep for days in a row, followed by days when he slept continuously and missed meals. Respondent recently began collecting urine in cups in his room and required prompts to bathe and eat.

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Related

In re Craig H.
2022 IL 126256 (Illinois Supreme Court, 2022)

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Bluebook (online)
2020 IL App (4th) 190061, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-craig-h-illappct-2020.