In re P.A.C.
Annotate this CaseThe State petitioned the district court to involuntarily commit Appellant to the Montana State Hospital (MSH) for ninety days. The district court appointed counsel to represent Appellant and informed her of her right to be present at the commitment hearing. Appellant did not appear at the commitment hearing. The district court proceeded with the hearing and committed Appellant to MSH for a period not exceeding ninety days. Appellant appealed, contending that the district court erred and violated her due process rights by proceeding with the commitment hearing without first "obtaining a valid waiver" of her right to be present under Mont. Code Ann. 53-21-119. The Supreme Court reversed, holding that, while Appellant's attorney could inform the district court of Appellant's desire to waive her right to be present, the district court should have made further inquiry to determine whether Appellant was capable of making an intentional and knowing waiver decision.
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.