What if the pre-petition screening team does not support commitment?
A person seeking commitment of another person can appeal the decision of the pre-petition screening team to the County Attorney’s Office. The County Attorney’s Office will examine the facts of the case and decide whether or not to file a petition. This analysis can only be done after the completion of the pre-petition screening process, since a pre-petition screening is a pre-requisite to the filing of a civil commitment petition. Because the pre-petition screeners are very knowledgeable about the legal standards for commitment, it is unusual for the County Attorney’s Office to accept a petition when the team did not recommend commitment.

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1. What is civil commitment?
2. If I think someone should be committed, do I have to go through the county, or can I file my own petition with the court?
3. What if the pre-petition screening team does not support commitment?
4. What criteria must be met for a petition to be filed?
5. Can the court require a mentally ill person to take antipsychotic medication?
6. Do persons who are civilly committed lose any rights/privileges of citizenship?
7. If a person is found incompetent to stand trial or not guilty of a crime due to mental illness or developmental delay, is the person automatically committed to a treatment facility?