Supreme Court of the United States

Charles Thomas Sell v. United States

June 16, 2003539 U.S. 1

Summary

The Supreme Court held that the Eighth Circuit had jurisdiction to hear the appeal as a collateral order, reaffirmed the constitutional framework permitting involuntary medication only when certain stringent criteria are met, and vacated the appellate judgment because the lower courts approved forced medication solely to render Sell competent despite lacking a dangerousness finding. The case was remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.