§ 68-10-110 — Arrest and temporary commitment for treatment authorized - Hearing - Examination - Appeal

(a) Whenever in the judgment of the municipal, county or district health officer, there is reasonable clinical or epidemiological evidence to suspect that any person or persons are infected with a STD as defined in this chapter, and the person or persons refuse to be examined as provided in § 68-10-104 , the health officer or the health officer's authorized deputy may go before a magistrate or judge of a court of general sessions and swear out a warrant of arrest for the person or persons. (b) The magistrate or judge is not bound to issue the warrant pursuant to subsection (a), unless and until there is a showing of reasonable cause on the basis of sound clinical and epidemiological evidence. (c) If reasonable cause is shown for the arrest and examination of the person or persons, the magistrate or judge shall direct that an examination be made of the person or persons to determine whether or not they are infected. (d) The examination shall be made by the health officer or by a duly licensed and practicing physician of this state, to be selected by the health officer. The accused person or persons may also have a physician of their own choosing present to participate in the examination. (e) If the physicians are not in accordance as to their diagnosis, then the court shall reach its decision after a hearing. (f) If, after a full hearing, the court is of the opinion that the person examined is infected with a STD as defined in this chapter, the court may commit the person to an isolation hospital maintained by the state or local government for the purpose of detaining and treating such persons, who shall remain under treatment until the disease, in the opinion of the health officer, is no longer communicable or no longer in a stage in which infectious relapse may occur. (g) No appeal or certiorari from the decision of the court committing the person to the isolation hospital shall stay the commitment, nor shall any court have power to supersede such order, but the person or persons shall immediately be placed in the isolation hospital, there to remain until released by the health officer as no longer communicable or in a stage of the disease in which infectious relapse may occur, or released by order of the court. (h) Any person committed under this chapter may appeal from the judgment of the magistrate or court of general sessions as now provided by law for civil cases.

Legislative History

Acts 1921, ch. 106, § 11; impl. am. Acts 1923, ch. 7, § 46; Shan. Supp., § 3116a18; mod. Code 1932, § 5823; Acts 1943, ch. 73, § 6; C. Supp. 1950, § 5823; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 53-1110.