Please E-mail suggested additions, comments and/or corrections to Kent@MoreLaw.Com.
Help support the publication of case reports on MoreLaw
Date: 11-15-2024
Case Style:
In the Matter of the Necessity for the Hospitalization of K.B.
Case Number: 3AN-19-01097-PR
Judge: Ian Wheeles
Court: Superior Court, Third Judicial District, Anchorage Borough, Alaska
Plaintiff's Attorney: Anchorge Borough, Alaska District Attorney's Office
Defendant's Attorney:
Description:
Anchorage, Alaska criminal defense lawyer represented Defendant who was in need of care.
The superior court committed a man with an extensive history of mental illness for an eighth consecutive 180-day period based on findings that the man was both gravely disabled and likely to cause serious harm to others.
K.B. was hospitalized at the Alaska Psychiatric Institute (API) under successive involuntary commitment orders since 2019. He was admitted to API 32 times between 2010 and 2019.
K.B. has a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, as well as antisocial personality disorder and traumatic brain injury. These conditions manifest as disorganized thoughts, irrationality, and paranoid delusions, such as beliefs that he is in the military or working for a federal intelligence agency. In particular, K.B. has a longstanding, fixed delusion that he owns many homes and has significant financial resources. These delusions can result in aggressive encounters, such as when K.B. trespasses on property owned by others under the belief that he owns it. K.B. has repeatedly assaulted others as a result of his illness, particularly when he is unmedicated or his delusions are questioned. He has been banned from assisted living facilities, hotels, and all shelters in Anchorage, as well as Alaska Behavioral Health.
K.B.'s condition has shown some improvement over his time at API. He has moved to a less restrictive unit and been allowed a community pass. But he does not want to take medication and has a history of refusing to take medication when in the community. If he is not medicated, his condition deteriorates rapidly.
In re K.B., 2057, S-18731 (Alaska Nov 13, 2024)
Outcome: Affirmed
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments: