NH Supreme Court rules psychiatric patients must get due process within 3 days of detention
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Updated: 6:28 PM EDT May 11, 2021
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Updated: 6:28 PM EDT May 11, 2021
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DAYS EVEN WEEKS WITH NO RECOURSE. WE THANK JANE DOE FOR HER COURAGEOUSNESS. THIS CASE WAS BROUGHT BY A WOMAN WHO WAS INVOLUNTARILY ADMITTED TO THE DARTMOUTH. CENTER EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT DIDN’T RECEIVE A PROBABLE CAUSE HEARING UNTIL 17 DAYS AFTER HER INITIAL ADMISSION TO THE ER AND SHE FILED THE HABEAS CORPUS ACTION SAYING THIS IS WRONG THE SUPERIOR COURT CITED WITH JANE DOE THE STATE APPEALED THE DECISION AND TODAY NEW HAMPSHIRE’S COURT RULED AGAIN IN FAVOR OF THE PATIENT PART OF WHAT? I BELIEVE THAT THE JANE DOE DECISION REFLECTS IS LONGSTANDING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS. WE DON’T TREAT ANY OTHER MEDICAL CONDITION. WE DON’T HOLD PEOPLE IN A LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION FOR DAYS ON END IN AN EMERGENCY ROOM WITHOUT WITHOUT PROPER CARE TH ART TO ESTATE DESIGNATED MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY THE COURT RULED THE CLOCK STARTS STARTS AT THE MOMENT OF THE IN. HARRY ADMISSION MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATES POINT TO A CRITICAL SHORTAGE OF RESOURCES CREATING A BACKLOG IN ERS AROUND THE STATE FROM PSYCHIATRISTS RIGHT ON DOWN THE LINE TO MENTAL HEALTH WORKERS AND PEER SUPPORT FOLKS. THERE IS A SHORTAGE THIS CASE AT ITS CORE. CONCERNS DUE PROCESS AND THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE THAT IF THE STATE IS GOING TO TAKE AWAY YOUR LIBERTY. YOU SHOULD HAVE TIMELY ACCESS TO A LAWYER AND JUDGE. AS OF LAST WEEK NAMI NEW HAMPSHIRE SAYS 44 ADULTS WERE WAITING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOMS THIS ISSUE CONTINUES TO HAPPEN RIGHT NOW DHHS RELEASED A STATEMENT LATE THIS AFTERNOON SAYING THEY ARE CURRENTLY REVIEWING THE RULING AND WORKING WITH THEIR LEGAL COUNSEL TO DETERMINE HOW TO COMPLY WITH