uttering death threats == physical violence? will
----- Original Message ----- From: "Jerry Johnson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, June 06, 2003 1:22 PM Subject: Re: MENTALLY ILL MAN MAY REFUSE TREATMENT, COURT RULES > You must have missed this paragraph: > > Five years ago, he was admitted to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto after a court found him not criminally responsible on two charges of uttering death threats. > > Jerry Johnson > > >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 06/06/03 03:43PM >>> > The big if, is whether or not he is a danger, and the article never > states that he has been violent in the past. > > That a man who has demonstrated the fact that he can and is a benefit > to society, and hasn't demonstrated the opposite is viewed as insane > and must be locked away from the rest of society is incredibly hard to > comprehend to me. > The only proof we have of any wrongdoing on his part is the word of > his mother who is willing to tell random media that her sons life is > over because they can't sedate him. She sounds like the nutty one to > me. > > -- > jon > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Friday, June 6, 2003, 3:09:58 PM, you wrote: > JJ> But he has a history of dangerous threats (at the very least). > > JJ> As long as they keep him locked up if he doesn't take his meds, then I think it is fine. > > JJ> If the hospital needs to physically restrain him because he gets violent, again fine. Its on him. > > JJ> But he can't be let out into society without meds when he has been found not responsible for violent acts due to a mental illness or defect. > > JJ> If he refuses to take the medications that will render him less dangerous to the society at large, then he stays in a cage. > > JJ> Thats my feelings on this one. > > JJ> Jerry Johnson > > > > > > >>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 06/06/03 02:48PM >>> > JJ> well the troubling thing is that if they HAD ruled that he was better off > JJ> then where would you draw the line? Most people would be happier if you > JJ> made them take Valium. There would certainly be less political > JJ> dissension... you see where I am going with this. Speaking of which, i just > JJ> noticed the other day that there now really is a drug called soma. > > JJ> Larry C. Lyons writes: > > >> At 06:07 PM 6/6/2003 +0000, Dana Tierney wrote: > >> >http://cbc.ca/stories/2003/06/06/starson030606 > >> > >> I got the article again. Here the text of it: > >> > >> Mentally ill man may refuse treatment, court rules > >> Last Updated Fri, 06 Jun 2003 13:21:08 > >> OTTAWA - In a case reminiscent of the Hollywood movie A Beautiful Mind, the > >> Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that a mentally ill physics genius has > >> the right to refuse treatment for his condition. > >> > >> In its ruling Friday, the court said that 47-year-old Scott Starson does > >> not have to take the medication that doctors want to give him. > >> > >> But the decision does not necessarily affect treatment of other mentally > >> ill people. > >> > >> With no formal training, Starson has written for academic journals on > >> topics such as anti-gravity, the theory of relativity and time measurement. > >> > >> But he suffers from a condition combining the symptoms of schizophrenia and > >> manic depression, which causes erratic and sometimes threatening behaviour. > >> > >> Five years ago, he was admitted to the Centre for Addiction and Mental > >> Health in Toronto after a court found him not criminally responsible on two > >> charges of uttering death threats. > >> > >> Refused treatment > >> > >> His psychiatrist, Dr. Paul Posner, proposed treating Starson with > >> anti-psychotic drugs and physical restraints, but Starson has refused > >> medication, saying it slowed down his thought processes. > >> > >> A medical review board ruled that Starson was not capable of making a > >> decision about his medication, but that decision was overturned by the > >> Ontario Superior Court of Justice in 1999. > >> > >> The case then went to the Supreme Court of Canada. > >> > >> In its ruling Friday, the court said there were errors in the way the case > >> was handled. > >> > >> Starson is currently in a psychiatric hospital in Ottawa with no prospect > >> of being released. > >> > >> His mother, Jeanne Stevens, told CBC NewsWorld on Friday that the decision > >> effectively ruins her son's life. > >> > >> She says medication would have taken away his erratic behaviour and allowed > >> him to work again and live in the community. > >> > >> "I'm devastated and I truthfully believe that the Supreme Court did not > >> have sufficient information," she said. "It's the end of his life." > >> > >> The case has parallels with A Beautiful Mind, in which Russell Crowe plays > >> John Forbes Nash, a mathematics genius who suffers from schizophrenia. > >> > >> In 1994, Nash won the Nobel Prize in Economic Science for his earlier work > >> on game theory. > >> > >> > >> > > JJ> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=5 Get the mailserver that powers this list at http://www.coolfusion.com Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
