Federal Court Strikes Indefinite Detention for Mentally Disabled
A decision favoring a mentally disabled man's request to review conditions restricting him at a Gainesville group home opens the door for potentially thousands of people to live freer lives.
October 26, 2015 at 07:00 AM
5 minute read
Florida cannot restrict the freedom of mentally disabled people without regularly reviewing their cases, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit decided.
J.R., 53, has an IQ of 56 and lives in a Gainesville group home. He indicated he wants to live independently near his family in Fort Myers, where he's been offered a job with Steak 'n Shake.
J.R. was involuntarily committed to state supervision in 2004 after he was charged with sexual battery and deemed incompetent to stand trial. The last time a judge looked at his case was in 2005.
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Trending Stories
- 1The Law Firm Disrupted: For Big Law Names, Shorter is Sweeter
- 2Wine, Dine and Grind (Through the Weekend): Summer Associates Thirst For Experience in 'Real Matters'
- 3The 'Biden Effect' on Senior Attorneys: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
- 4BD Settles Thousands of Bard Hernia Mesh Lawsuits
- 5First Lawsuit Filed Alleging Contraceptive Depo-Provera Caused Brain Tumor
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250