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Issue: Under Wisconsin law, when can a court find that an individual is incapable of refusing antipsychotic medication?
| Area of Law: | Constitutional Law, Litigation & Procedure |
| Keywords: | Involuntary medication or treatment; Refuse medication or treatment |
| Jurisdiction: | Wisconsin |
| Cited Cases: | 497 U.S. 261; 833 N.W.2d 607; 349 Wis. 2d 148 |
| Cited Statutes: | Wis. Stat. § 51.61 |
| Date: | 07/01/2015 |
In 2013, the Wisconsin Supreme Court decided Outagamie County v. Melanie L. (In re Melanie L.), 2013 WI 67, 349 Wis. 2d 148, 833 N.W.2d 607 TA l "Outagamie County v. Melanie L. (In re Melanie L.), 2013 WI 67, 349 Wis. 2d 148, 833 N.W.2d 607 (2013)" s "Outagamie County v. Melanie L. (In re Melanie L.), 2013 WI 67, 349 Wis. 2d 148, 833 N.W.2d 607 (2013)" c 1 . Melanie L. recognized that a competent individual has a Fourteenth Amendment liberty interest in refusing unwanted medical treatment. Id. (citing Cruzan v. Dir., Mo. Dep’t of Health, 497 U.S. 261, 278, 110 S. Ct. 2841, 111 L. Ed. 224 (1990) TA l "Cruzan v. Dir., Mo. Dep’t of Health, 497 U.S. 261, 110 S. Ct. 2841, 111 L. Ed. 224 (1990)" s "Cruzan v. Dir., Mo. Dep’t of Health, 497 U.S. 261, 278, 110 S. Ct. 2841, 111 L. Ed. 224 (1990)" c 1 ). However, the state has an interest in administering treatment pursuant to a commitment order. Id. (quoting Mary C. McCarron, Comment, The Right to Refuse Antipsychotic Drugs: Safeguarding the Mentally Incompetent Patient’s Right to Procedural Due Process, 73 Marq. L. Rev. 477, 484 (1990) TA l "Mary C. McCarron, Comment, The Right to Refuse Antipsychotic Drugs: Safeguarding the Mentally Incompetent Patient’s Right to Procedural Due Process, 73 Marq. L. Rev. 477, 484 (1990)" s "Mary C. McCarron, Comment, The Right to Refuse Antipsychotic Drugs: Safeguarding the Mentally Incompetent Patient’s […]