South Carolina § 44-17-860 Unlawful taking of person from mental health facility without permission.

South Carolina Statutes

§ 44-17-860 — Unlawful taking of person from mental health facility without permission.

South Carolina § 44-17-860

Title 44HEALTH

Ch. 17CARE AND COMMITMENT OF MENTALLY ILL PERSONS

This text of South Carolina § 44-17-860 (Unlawful taking of person from mental health facility without permission.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

S.C. Code Ann. § 44-17-860 (2026).

Text

It shall be unlawful for any person, without prior authorization from the patient's attending physician, to take or cause to be taken any patient away from the grounds of any facility under the jurisdiction of the Office of Mental Health. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be fined in a sum of not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned for not exceeding one year, or both.

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It shall be unlawful for any person, without prior authorization from the patient's attending physician, to take or cause to be taken any patient away from the grounds of any facility under the jurisdiction of the Office of Mental Health. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be fined in a sum of not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned for not exceeding one year, or both.

Legislative History

HISTORY: 1962 Code SECTION 32-989; 1974 (58) 2642. Code Commissioner's Note At the direction of the Code Commissioner, certain references in the S.C. Code to the State Department of Mental Health, South Carolina Mental Health Commission, Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, Department of Disabilities and Special Needs Commission, Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services, and other related terms were changed to reflect the restructuring of these agencies into component offices under the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, pursuant to 2025 Act No. 3, SECTION 18.