United States v. Watson, Jr.

Defendant, who suffers from Delusional Disorder, Persecutory Type, was arrested for firing a handgun at a Coast Guard helicopter and later found incompetent to stand trial and committed to the custody of the Attorney General. After defendant refused to take antipsychotic medication in order to render himself competent, the district court granted the government’s request that he be medicated by force. The court reversed, however, concluding that the government has not met its burden of proving that involuntary medication is substantially likely to restore defendant's competency. In this case, the district court overlooked the issue lying at the heart of this case: the meagerness of the evidence that forcible treatment is substantially likely to restore defendant's competency, when his particular medical situation is taken into account - especially as evaluated under the requisite clear and convincing standard of proof. View "United States v. Watson, Jr." on Justia Law