Itmo the Necessity for the Hospitalization of Kara K.

Summary

The Alaska Supreme Court affirmed the superior court’s 30‑day involuntary commitment of Kara K. The Court held that the statutory definition of “mental illness” includes impairments arising from physical conditions such as lupus, that due process does not require a court to “rule out” such conditions, and that the commitment was the least restrictive alternative. The decision relied on plain‑meaning interpretation, legislative history, and prior Alaska precedent.