Michael Lizzi v. State of Florida

168 So. 3d 1285, 2015 Fla. App. LEXIS 11403, 2015 WL 4549631
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedJuly 29, 2015
Docket4D14-4355
StatusPublished

This text of 168 So. 3d 1285 (Michael Lizzi v. State of Florida) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Michael Lizzi v. State of Florida, 168 So. 3d 1285, 2015 Fla. App. LEXIS 11403, 2015 WL 4549631 (Fla. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

WARNER, J.

Appellant challenges an order allowing a medical facility to involuntarily treat him with psychiatric medication. The order allowed the facility to treat appellant with twenty different drugs. Because the record contains no competent substantial evidence that the administration of the drugs, except for two, was essential to the appellant’s care, we reverse the order authorizing treatment.

Appellant was admitted to Treasure Coast Forensic Treatment Center (“the facility”) after having been found not guilty by reason of insanity in a criminal proceeding. He had been diagnosed with “[bjipolar disorder with psychotic features,” and his symptoms included “rapid speech, ... pressured speech sometimes, delusional grandiose delusions, ... [and] impulsive control issues,” according to appellant’s treating psychiatrist. After appellant refused to take medications, the facility filed a petition requesting authorization to administer drugs to treat appellant. The list contained twenty different drugs:

[1] Aripiprazole 5mg-30 mg PO/IM, [2] Fluphenazine 5mg-40mg PO/IM, [3] Haloperidol 5mg-40mg PO/IM, [4] Olan-zapine 2.5mg-30mg PO/IM, [5] Perphe-nazine 2mg-64mg PO, [6] Quetiapine 25mg-800mg PO, [7] Risperidone 0.25mg-16mg PO, [8] Saphris 5mg-20mg SL, [9] Thioridazine 50mg-800mg *1287 PO, [10] Latuda 6mg-160mg PO, [11] Ziprasidone 20mg-240mg PO/IM, [12] Clonazepam 0.5mg-16mg PO, [13] Lo-razepam 0.5mg-10mg PO/IM, [14] Car-bamazepine 100mg-1600mg PO, [15] Lamotrigine 25mg-200mg PO, [16] Lithium 150mg-1800mg PO, [17] Val-proic Acid 250mg-3000mg PO; [18] Proposed IM Medicine: Fluphenazine Decanoate 25mg-100mg IM every 2-4 weeks, [19] Benadryl 25mg-100mg PO/ IM, [20] Vistaril 25mg-100mg PO/IM; tests as necessary for treatment including medical test to monitor for side effects including, but not limited to drawing blood and any others that identified in any facts and comparisons, which serves as the official compendium for psychotropic medication usage for FDCD, and will be administered at the lowest and possible dose [sic] to achieve a therapeutic response in accordance with CF-155-1, which governs the use of psychotropic medications in state institution [sic], as well as, appropriate FL statutes governing the practice of medicine.

(Emphasis supplied.) The petition attached two supporting opinions from psychiatrists.

At the magistrate hearing on the petition, the appellant’s treating psychiatrist testified that medication was essential to the appellant’s care and to accomplish the goal of allowing him to “step down” to a civil hospital. Appellant was currently taking Saphris, but the dose he was taking was inadequate to control his symptoms of yelling at staff in the facility and other disruptive behavior.

The psychiatrist and the other members of appellant’s multidisciplinary treatment team had agreed to a plan of treatment, including the drugs on the list, but appellant had refused treatment. Appellant desired to continue with only the Saphris, as he was concerned with the side effects of the other medications. The psychiatrist testified that he would first administer Lithium as well as the current Saphris dose. Regarding the other medications described in the petition, the administrator testified that he would not use them, unless appellant had an adverse reaction to the Lithium. The other medications would be used only as a “last case scenario,” if they ran into a lot of problems. He admitted that when Lithium had been administered to appellant in the past he had had tremors as an adverse reaction, but the psychiatrist thought they could keep the tremors under control. He opined that without treatment appellant would relapse, and that everything the treatment team was recommending was medically necessary for appellant’s care and treatment.

After the psychiatrist testified, appellant addressed the magistrate in a rambling fashion. First, he explained his conduct toward staff. Then, he objected to being treated with Lithium because of its side effects.

The magistrate subsequently issued an order granting the petition, which found: “Based upon the clear and convincing evidence during this hearing, including the testimony of [the psychiatrist], the Forensic Client is in immediate need of psychiatric medication and treatment pursuant to Section 916.107(3)(a), Florida Statutes (2013).” The form order noted the magistrate had “considered the following factors in making its determination: a. The expressed preference of the Forensic Client regarding treatment; b. The probability of adverse side effects; c. The prognosis without treatment; and d. The prognosis with treatment.” The magistrate authorized the facility to treat appellant with medication as provided in th§ petition for a period of ninety days. After a circuit judge entered an order adopting the mag *1288 istrate’s recommendation, appellant timely appealed.

Chapter 916, the Forensic Client Services Act, establishes the authority for treatment of persons adjudicated guilty by reason of insanity. Section 916.105, Florida Statutes (2014), provides:

(2) It is the intent of the Legislature that treatment ... programs for defendants who ... are involuntarily committed to the department or agency, and who are still under the jurisdiction of the committing court, be provided in a manner ... which ensures the rights of the defendants as provided in this chapter.

Section 916.107(3), Florida Statutes (2014), allows a facility to involuntarily treat a patient if the facility meets certain requirements and obtains a court order:

(3) Right to express and informed consent.—
(a) A forensic client shall be asked to give express and informed written consent for treatment. If a client refuses such treatment as is deemed necessary and essential by the client’s multidisciplinary treatment team for the appropriate care of the client, such treatment may be provided under the following circumstances:
[[Image here]]
2. In a situation other than an emergency situation, the administrator or designee of the facility shall petition the court for an order authorizing necessary and essential treatment for the client. The order shall allow such treatment for a period not to exceed 90 days....
3. At the hearing on the issue of whether the court should enter an order authorizing treatment for which a client was unable to or refused to give express and informed consent, the court shall determine by clear and convincing evidence that the client has mental illness, intellectual disability, or autism, that the treatment not consented to is essential to the care of the client, and that the treatment not consented to is not experimental and does not present an unreasonable risk of serious, hazardous, or irreversible side effects. In arriving at the substitute judgment decision, the court must consider at least the following factors:
a. The client’s expressed preference regarding treatment;
b. The probability of adverse side effects;
c. The prognosis without treatment; and
d. The prognosis with treatment.

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

Related

Charles Smith v. State
145 So. 3d 189 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2014)
Rogers v. State
138 So. 3d 1160 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2014)
Louisma v. State
78 So. 3d 50 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 2012)
Dinardo v. State
742 So. 2d 287 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1998)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
168 So. 3d 1285, 2015 Fla. App. LEXIS 11403, 2015 WL 4549631, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/michael-lizzi-v-state-of-florida-fladistctapp-2015.