Civil commitment of the mentally ill: Lessard v. Schmidt.

Critique of the American Psychiatric Association's guidelines for state legislation on civil commitment of the mentally ill.

Civil commitment of mentally ill--right to treatment--parens patriae power--right to liberty.

Donaldson revisited: is dangerousness a constitutional requirement for civil commitment?

The Supreme Court decision O'Connor v. Donaldson (1975) has been widely interpreted to assert that dangerousness is a constitutional requirement for civil commitment. This interpretation is a misreading of the decision, which actually addressed the conditions disallowing indefinite, involuntary custodial confinement and not the requirements for an initial commitment. An excessive reliance on da...

Mental Health - United States ex rel. Mathew v. Nelson - Civil Commitment of the Mentally Ill Based on a Finding of Dangerousness Is Constitutional, Even Though Dangerousness Is Not Inferred from a Recent, Overt Dangerous Act

Civil commitment of the mentally ill in California: the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act.