Weiner v. Ash

756 P.2d 329, 157 Ariz. 232, 1988 Ariz. App. LEXIS 12
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedJanuary 21, 1988
Docket2 CA-CV 87-0195
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 756 P.2d 329 (Weiner v. Ash) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Weiner v. Ash, 756 P.2d 329, 157 Ariz. 232, 1988 Ariz. App. LEXIS 12 (Ark. Ct. App. 1988).

Opinion

OPINION

LIVERMORE, Presiding Judge.

Defendant Steven Ash shot and wounded plaintiff Jeffrey Weiner. Plaintiff Merton *233 Weiner was a passenger in Jeffrey’s car at the time of the shooting. Defendant was tried criminally for this assault but was found not guilty by reason of insanity. In the ensuing civil suit, Jeffrey and his wife were awarded $273,582.67, and Merton and his wife were awarded $90,123.05, for past and future medical bills, past and future pain, suffering and disability, and past emotional distress and anxiety. These sums have been paid and are not now in issue. The issues on this appeal are based on the following portions of the trial court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law and the corresponding parts of the final judgment:

THE COURT MAKES THE FOLLOWING FINDINGS:

1. Paranoid schizophrenia is a major mental illness.

2. Paranoid schizophrenia has an unknown etiology.

3. Paranoid schizophrenia has no cure.

4. Paranoid schizophrenia can go into remission.

5. Remission is, by definition, transitory and temporary.

6. The defendant, Steven Ash, is suffering from paranoid schizophrenia; his paranoid schizophrenia is currently in remission or in control by psychotic drugs/therapy.

7. The defendant, Steven Ash, is currently undergoing psychotherapy which, in combination with antipsychotic medication, and strong psychological support from his wife and extended family is responsible for his current status in “remission.” Defendant Steven Ash, has a past history of both schizo affective mental illness and a failure to take prescribed medication to control said mental illness.

8. The failure of a paranoid schizophrenic to continue to take prescribed anti-psychotic medication is a significant risk/problem in the care, treatment, management and control of paranoid schizophrenia.

9. The defendant, Steven Ash, is currently under court order to 1) participate in psychotherapy on a regular basis; 2) take any antipsychotic medication prescribed by the treating physician, and 3) to submit to periodic, random sampling of his urine to verify that he has maintained a therapeutic level of the prescribed medication in his bloodstream. 1

10. The psychotherapy, antipsychotic medication and the random periodic testing are both useful and necessary to maintain the defendant, Steven Ash, in remission.

11. The fact that the defendant is mandated by court order to continue psychotherapy medication and random periodic urinalysis is a significant factor in his current successful remission, and the probability of the maintenance of that successful remission in the future.

12. The defendant, Steven Ash, has no objection to the continuance of the current psychotherapy, antipsychotic medication and random periodic urinalysis in the future.

13. Defendant’s attorney formally agreed after receiving the consent of his client, that this court enter an order requiring defendant Steven Ash, to continue psychotherapy, continue taking antipsychotic medication and participate in random periodic urinalysis for an indefinite period of time to determine that he has a therapeutic level of medication in his bloodstream.

14. The entry of an order mandating the defendant, Steven Ash, to continue psychotherapy and antipsychotic medication and random periodic urinalysis will have a minimal intrusive effect upon him in comparison with the harm to be prevented both to others and to the defendant himself.

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the defendant, Steven Ash, continue to participate in psychotherapy for his paranoid schizophrenia or schizo-affective disorder, said therapeutic sessions to be held no less than monthly with the length of the session to be determined by the best medical judgment of his physician, Dr. Robert L. Win- *234 sky, or such other board certified psychiatrist to whom his care may be transferred.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the defendant, Steven Ash, take any and all antipsychotic or behavior controlling medications prescribed by his treating psychiatrist and that, in addition thereto, that he undergo random periodic urinalysis at least once every thirty days to determine that he has a therapeutic level of the anti-psychotic medication in his bloodstream.

In addition, the court would like a provision that the defendant allow his treating psychiatrist to consult with Dr. Allan Bie-gel, or some other board certified psychiatrist nominated by plaintiffs in this action, not less than once every six months; that the defendant, Steven Ash, waive the physician-patient privilege with respect to the consultation between his treating psychiatrist and Dr. Beigel or nominee; that Dr. Beigel or his nominee be authorized to report to the plaintiffs the medical condition of the defendant, Steven Ash, without any particulars and whether or not he poses any hazard to their health, welfare or safety.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that judgment be entered against the defendant, Steven Ash, and in favor of the plaintiffs, in the amount of $250,000.00 for future emotional distress and anxiety; however, said sum to be payable if, and only when, the defendant fails to comply with any of the court’s orders concerning his medical care, medication and drug testing or his refusal for any reason to allow the reports to plaintiffs called for and contemplated by these orders.

(As opposed to the actual entry of judgment, perhaps it would be better or at least more practical that the defendant’s carriers post a bond in that amount. In any event, it is the intention of the court to alleviate any reasonable basis for future mental distress on the one hand and to assess damages for it, only if necessary, on the other hand.)

Plaintiffs have requested damages for loss of profits on an investment potential.

It is reasonably certain that the incident on November 8, 1984, was the proximate cause of plaintiff’s not investing for approximately six to eight months from the date of the shooting at an absolute minimum.

Plaintiffs area of expertise on investment was raw land. It is not referred to as land speculation without good reason.

The variables encompassed within the real estate investment/speculation field are so multiplicitous that it is impossible to predict with any probability if plaintiffs would have made a profitable investment in raw land.

Investment in raw land as a business for profit has nothing to do with any change in the intrinsic value of the land itself, but much to do with roads, zoning, development, interest rates, purchases/sale terms, carrying charges, length of time from purchase to sale, the fluctuations in both the local and national economy, market strategy and the fluctuations in both the local and national economy, marketing strategy, etc.

The animal spirit — the willingness to take the risk of investment — was lost to these plaintiffs for at least six to eight months as a proximate result of defendant’s acts.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
756 P.2d 329, 157 Ariz. 232, 1988 Ariz. App. LEXIS 12, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/weiner-v-ash-arizctapp-1988.