Opinion

Brown v. Kearney

  • 778 So. 2d 541
  • 2001 Fla. App. LEXIS 3266
  • 2001 WL 246043
Court
District Court of Appeal of Florida
Filed
Mar 13, 2001
Status
Published
On the bench
Levy, Ramirez, Shevin
Cited by
0 cases

The opinion

ON MOTION FOR REHEARING

PER CURIAM.

We grant the motions for rehearing, withdraw our prior opinion issued March 9, 2001, and substitute the following opinion.

Petitioner Jeffrey Brown moved this Court for a writ of habeas corpus based upon a trial court order entered February 1, 2001, committing him to involuntary hospitalization. The Attorney General filed a response confessing error and we ordered that Brown be released from the state hospital immediately.

We then received a response from the Department of Children and Family Services agreeing that the trial court’s order departed from the essential requirements of Chapter 916, Florida Statutes. The Department cited section 916.105(3), Florida Statutes (2000) which provides that treatment in community outpatient settings be provided whenever it is a feasible alternative to treatment in a state forensic facility. Additionally, the Department cited section 916.13(l)(b), Florida Statutes (2000), which authorizes commitment only after a finding by clear and convincing evidence that all available, less restrictive treatment alternatives are inappropriate. Everyone agrees that the evidence in this case does not support such a finding.

Therefore, the writ of habeas corpus is granted, the commitment order is vacated and this cause is remanded to the trial court to explore other, less restrictive treatment alternatives. Brown is to be immediately released from custody and be restored to his pre-commitment bond status.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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