In the Matter of the Necessity for the Hospitalization of Jacob S.

Summary

The Alaska Supreme Court affirmed Jacob S.’s 30-day and 90-day involuntary commitment orders and the related involuntary medication orders. It held that telephonic testimony did not violate due process, that the court—not the jury—decides whether a less restrictive alternative exists, and that a patient may be found incompetent to make treatment decisions when any one statutory competency element is absent. The court also concluded that the commitment and medication findings were supported by the evidence and were not clearly erroneous.