2010 Mississippi Code
TITLE 41 - PUBLIC HEALTH
Chapter 30 - Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse Prevention, Control and Treatment.
41-30-27 - Emergency involuntary commitment; alcoholics; drug addicts.

§ 41-30-27. Emergency involuntary commitment; alcoholics; drug addicts.
 

(1) (a)  A person may be admitted to an approved public or private treatment facility for emergency care and treatment upon a decree of the chancery court accepting an application for admission thereto accompanied by the certificate of two (2) licensed physicians. The application shall be to the chancery court of the county of such person's residence and may be made by any one (1) of the following: Either certifying physician, the patient's spouse or guardian, any relative of the patient, or any other person responsible for health, safety or welfare of all or part of the citizens within said chancery court's territorial jurisdiction. The application shall state facts to support the need for immediate commitment, including factual allegations showing that the person to be committed has threatened, attempted or actually inflicted physical harm upon himself or another. The physicians' certificates shall state that they examined the person within two (2) days of the certificate date and shall set out the facts to support the physicians' conclusion that the person is an alcoholic or drug addict who has lost the power of self-control with respect to the use of alcoholic beverages or habit-forming drugs and that unless immediately committed he is likely to inflict physical harm upon himself or others. A hearing on such applications shall be heard by the chancery court in term time or in vacation, and the hearing shall be held in the presence of the person sought to be admitted unless he fail or refuse to attend. Notice of the hearing shall be given to the person sought to be admitted, as soon as practicable after the examination by the certifying physicians, and the person sought to be admitted shall have an opportunity to be represented by counsel, and shall be entitled to have compulsory process for the attendance of witnesses. 

(b) For the purpose of this section, the term "drug addict" shall have the meaning ascribed to it by Section 41-31-1(d). 

(2)  The chancery judge may refuse an application if in his opinion the application and certificate fail to sustain the grounds for commitment. Upon acceptance of the application after hearing thereon and decree sustaining the application by the judge, the person shall be transported to the facility by a peace officer, health officer, the applicant for commitment, the patient's spouse or the patient's guardian. The person shall be retained at the facility that admitted him, or be transferred to any other appropriate treatment resource, until discharged pursuant to subsection (3). 

(3)  The attending physician shall discharge any person committed pursuant to this section when he determines that the grounds for commitment no longer exist, but no person committed pursuant to this section shall be retained in any facility for more than five (5) days. 

(4)  The application filed pursuant to subsection (1) of this section shall also contain a petition for involuntary commitment pursuant to Title 41, Chapter 31, Mississippi Code of 1972. If the application for emergency involuntary commitment is accepted under subsection (2) of this section, the chancery judge shall order a hearing on the petition for commitment pursuant to Title 41, Chapter 31, Mississippi Code of 1972, to be held on the fifth day of such involuntary emergency commitment, the provisions of Section 41-31-5 regarding the time of hearing to the contrary notwithstanding; provided, however, that at the time of such involuntary commitment the alleged alcoholic or drug addict shall be served with a citation to appear at said hearing and shall have an opportunity to be represented by counsel. 
 

Sources: Laws,  1974, ch. 562, § 9; Laws, 1983, ch. 335, eff from and after passage (approved March 14, 1983).