The Florida Supreme Court could decide whether judges should be allowed to hold hearings by videoconference in cases involving the involuntary commitment of mentally ill people under the state’s Baker Act.
Kathleen Smith, the public defender in southwest Florida’s 20th Judicial Circuit, asked the Supreme Court last week to take up the issue in a Lee County dispute. That dispute stems from a decision allowing a judge and a magistrate to skip travel to receiving facilities to hold evidentiary hearings on whether patients should be involuntarily committed, according to a Sept. 28 ruling by the Second District Court of Appeal. The decision opened to door to video hearings.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.
For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]
