I don't think there is any question of releasing him. I believe the issue was, if you are involuntarily committed can you be forced to take medication against your will. From reading the posted link it seems he has been found not responsible of the criminal charge due to insanity, but lucid enough to refuse medication. Probably a matter of two different standards. It also seems to me that one of the links Larry posted before said that some of the violent behavior was directed at people who wanted to make him take his meds, so he seems to be quite steadfast on the subject.
Dana Jerry Johnson writes: > But he has a history of dangerous threats (at the very least). > > As long as they keep him locked up if he doesn't take his meds, then I think it is > fine. > > If the hospital needs to physically restrain him because he gets violent, again > fine. Its on him. > > 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. > > If he refuses to take the medications that will render him less dangerous to the > society at large, then he stays in a cage. > > Thats my feelings on this one. > > Jerry Johnson > > > > > > >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 06/06/03 02:48PM >>> > well the troubling thing is that if they HAD ruled that he was better off > then where would you draw the line? Most people would be happier if you > made them take Valium. There would certainly be less political > dissension... you see where I am going with this. Speaking of which, i just > noticed the other day that there now really is a drug called soma. > > 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. > > > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=5 Signup for the Fusion Authority news alert and keep up with the latest news in ColdFusion and related topics. http://www.fusionauthority.com/signup.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
