In Re Jonathan P.

899 N.E.2d 393
Appellate Court of Illinois·Decided November 19, 2008·No. 2-07-0610·Published

Opinion

899 N.E.2d 393 (2008)

In re JONATHAN P., Alleged to be a Person Subject to Involuntary Treatment (The People of the State of Illinois, Petitioner-Appellee, v. Jonathan P., Respondent-Appellant).

No. 2-07-0610.

Appellate Court of Illinois, Second District.

November 19, 2008.

*394 Inez Toledo (Court-appointed), Veronique Baker, Director (Court-appointed), Guardianship & Advocacy Commission, Legal Advocacy Service, State of Illinois, Chicago, for appellant.

John A. Barsanti, Kane County State's Attorney, St. Charles, Lawrence M. Bauer, Deputy Director, Diane L. Campbell, State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor, Elgin, for appellee.

Justice HUTCHINSON delivered the opinion of the court:

Respondent, Jonathan P., appeals from the trial court's order authorizing the involuntary administration of psychotropic medication to respondent for up to 90 days pursuant to section 2-107.1 of the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code (the Code) (405 ILCS 5/2-107.1 (West 2006)). Respondent argues that the order should be reversed because it is unsupported by the evidence and legally invalid. We reverse.

In the State's petition for involuntary treatment, Dr. Farzana Husain requested to administer four primary psychotropic medications and two alternative medications. Specifically, Husain petitioned to administer ziprasidone, orally (80 to 160 mg per day), ziprasidone, intramuscularly (10 to 30 mg per day), clonazepam (2 to 4 mg per day), and valproic acid (1,000 to 2,000 mg per day). Because the petition listed ziprasidone in pill form and in injectable form separately, we will treat oral ziprasidone and injectable ziprasidone as separate medications for purposes of this *395 decision. The petition also listed quetiapine (300 to 800 mg per day) and Prolixin (10 to 25 mg per day) as alternative medications if ziprasidone was not effective.

At the hearing on the involuntary treatment petition, Husain testified that she was respondent's psychiatrist at the Elgin Mental Health Center. Respondent had been diagnosed with "bipolar one disorder, unspecified, with rapid cycling," a serious mental illness. Due to the illness, respondent suffered from grandiose delusions, his mood was volatile, and he exhibited poor judgment. Respondent had been hospitalized twice in the past. Respondent was previously ordered to take psychotropic medication and, as a result, his behavior improved, he was less disruptive, and he became fit to stand trial. When respondent discontinued the medication, his condition deteriorated.

Husain further testified that respondent was previously treated with Geodon (the brand name for ziprasidone) and risperidone. Respondent benefited from these medications, but he complained of side effects from risperidone. Thus, Husain testified that she did not want to administer risperidone, but rather was seeking to administer 300 to 800 milligrams per day of Seroquel and 10 to 25 milligrams per day of Prolixin or fluphenazine. We note that Seroquel is the brand name for quetiapine, although this was not made clear from the testimony; Seroquel and quetiapine are used interchangeably throughout. The State then asked Husain: "The other two medications prior to this?" Husain responded: "[z]iprasidone, 80 to 60 milligrams orally and [r]isperidone, two to 16 milligrams per day orally." We presume this refers to the dosages Husain administered previously to respondent, since Husain specifically testified that she was not seeking to administer risperidone due to its side effects. Husain testified inconsistently as to which were primary medications and which were alternative medications. Lastly, Husain testified that she was seeking authorization for blood testing to safely administer the medication.

On cross-examination, Husain testified for the first time that she was also petitioning for clonazepam, which initially she stated was the generic name for risperidone. She then clarified that they were two different medications. Clonazepam is an antianxiety medication. Husain also testified that risperidone was included on the first page of the petition, but she made clear that she was not seeking to administer risperidone due to its side effects. Risperidone appears on page two of the petition, as a medication respondent had received in the past. Husain also testified regarding what she deemed to be the appropriate maximum and minimum dosages of two medications, namely Seroquel and Prolixin.

The trial court discussed the specific statutory factors necessary for the involuntary administration of psychotropic medication and found that the State proved the factors by clear and convincing evidence. The court further found that "the medication to be administered shall be as described by the doctor in her testimony and in the range of dosages described by the doctor in her testimony." The court also stated that the hospital staff "will be allowed to run blood tests to check the safe administration of the medication."

The trial court then entered an order allowing Husain to administer the following medication to respondent for 90 days: "[z]iprasidone 80-160 mg po/day, [z]iprasidone 10mg-30mg IM/day, [q]uetiapine 300-800 mg po/day, [f]luphenazine 10-25 mg po/ IM." The order left blank what testing and lab procedures were authorized.

*396 Soon after, respondent noticed that the petition was missing the page that requested the testing deemed essential for the safe and effective administration of the psychotropic medication. Based on this defect in the petition, respondent made an oral motion to dismiss the petition. The trial court denied the motion to dismiss, granted the State leave to file an amended petition, and continued the matter for "consideration" of the amendment. The court stayed the involuntary treatment order and, on the order itself, the court crossed out the authorized medications.

On May 25, 2007, the trial court granted the motion to amend the petition, finding that "the pleadings now conform to the proof." On June 15, 2007, the court denied respondent's motion to dismiss and motion to reconsider. The court lifted the stay, ruling that the medication order would take effect immediately.

Respondent timely appeals. On appeal, respondent argues that the trial court's order authorizing the involuntary administration of psychotropic medication should be reversed because the treatment order is unsupported by the evidence and legally invalid. Before addressing the merits, we note that the issue is moot because the 90-day period covered by the trial court's order has already expired. See In re Robert S., 213 Ill.2d 30, 45, 289 Ill.Dec. 648, 820 N.E.2d 424 (2004). "An appeal is considered moot where it presents no actual controversy or where the issues involved in the trial court no longer exist because intervening events have rendered it impossible for the reviewing court to grant effectual relief to the complaining party." In re J.T., 221 Ill.2d 338, 349-50, 303 Ill.Dec. 103, 851 N.E.2d 1 (2006). Generally, courts of review do not decide moot questions, render advisory opinions, or consider issues where the result will not be affected regardless of how those issues are decided. In re Barbara H., 183 Ill.2d 482, 491, 234 Ill.Dec. 215, 702 N.E.2d 555 (1998). Reviewing courts, however, recognize excep

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

In Re Jonathan P., 899 N.E.2d 393 (Ill. Ct. App. 2008).

899 N.E.2d 393 (In Re Jonathan P.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Davis v. Hubbard
506 F. Supp. 915 (N.D. Ohio, 1980)
People v. Gail F.
849 N.E.2d 448 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2006)
People v. Jill R.
785 N.E.2d 46 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2003)
People v. Mary Ann P.
781 N.E.2d 237 (Illinois Supreme Court, 2002)
People v. Barbara H.
702 N.E.2d 555 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1998)
In Re Leslie H.
861 N.E.2d 1010 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2007)
People v. Gwendolyn N.
760 N.E.2d 575 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2001)
In Re Alfred HH
887 N.E.2d 40 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2008)
People v. Floyd
655 N.E.2d 10 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1995)
People v. Timothy H.
704 N.E.2d 943 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1998)
In Re a Minor
537 N.E.2d 292 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1989)
People v. Barry B.
693 N.E.2d 882 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1998)
People v. Maher
734 N.E.2d 95 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2000)
In Re Marie M.
873 N.E.2d 393 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2007)
People v. Frances K.
749 N.E.2d 1082 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2001)
Poeple v. Robert S.
820 N.E.2d 424 (Illinois Supreme Court, 2004)
People v. Richard C.
769 N.E.2d 1071 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2002)
People v. J.T.
851 N.E.2d 1 (Illinois Supreme Court, 2006)
People v. A.W.
887 N.E.2d 831 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2008)
People v. Alfred H.H.
887 N.E.2d 40 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2008)