Alaska Supreme Court

In the Matter of the Necessity for the Hospitalization of: Arthur A.

February 7, 2020457 P.3d 540

Summary

The Alaska Supreme Court held that a respondent in involuntary commitment proceedings has an implied statutory right to self‑representation that must be evaluated using the McCracken framework, and that the superior court’s failure to conduct such an inquiry was a structural error requiring vacatur of the 30‑day commitment order.